John Deere was born in Rutland, Vermont, on February 7, 1804. He was the third son of William Rinold Deere and Sarah Yates Deere. In 1805, the family moved to Middlebury, Vermont, John's father worked as a tailor. In 1808, William took a boat to England, because he hoped to claim an inheritance and make a more comfortable life for his family. He was never heard from again, and people think that he must have died at sea. John's mother, Sarah, only had a small amount of money to raise him. John Deere's education was limited to the elementary schools of Vermont. At the age of 17 he learned how to be a blacksmith, which took him to several places in Vermont.