John Jacob "Jack" Sugden was a long-standing resident of the village of Emmerdale (formerly Beckindale). He was the son of Annie and Jacob Sugden. He was also the father of Jackie Merrick and Robert, John, and Victoria Sugden as well as being the adoptive father of Andy Sugden. His adoptive grandson is named after him.
In his younger days, Jack was a rebellious youth who had no massive interest in farming and had aspirations to escape to become an author. Jack and Ruth Harker had been childhood sweethearts. He got Ruth pregnant in 1964, just before he left Beckindale for London after he had a heated argument with Jacob over intensive farming. Ruth gave birth to a son, Jackie, in November. While living in London, Jack wrote and published a book titled The Field of Tares. He also met Lynn Wallace and informally married her.
In October 1972, Jacob died from pneumonia after years of chronic alcoholism, and Jack returned to the place of his birth to see his father off and claim on his inheritance. After brief relationships with Marian Wilks, the daughter of businessman Henry Wilks, and Penny Golightly, Jack left Beckindale in October 1973 and moved to Italy to concentrate on a film adaptation of his novel.
Save for a short visit in spring 1976, Jack remained living in Italy until February 1980, when he returned permanently with a new-found interest in his roots, and vowed to stay for good as he wanted to settle down. Later in the same year, Ruth returned, now going by her real name Pat, having left her violent husband Tom, bringing her children Jackie and Sandie with her. Pat and Tom divorced in 1981, allowing Jack to propose her. He and Pat finally married in 1982, but it came under strain when the truth came out that Jackie was Jack's son. Further problems came when Jack had an affair with Karen Moore, but the two reconciled and Pat gave birth to a son, Robert, in April 1986, however the marriage ended tragically four months later when Pat was killed in a car accident after dropping her sister Janie back at the train station.
After two brief relationships with a woman named Barbara and mobile librarian Sarah Connolly, Jack joined Marian in Italy, but returned after Jackie was killed in a shooting accident. He reconciled with Sarah and they moved in together in 1990. After several proposals of marriage, Jack and Sarah finally married in May 1994, just a few weeks after the birth of their daughter Victoria. Shortly after the adoption of troubled child Andy Hopwood and the Sugdens' move to a new farm in 1997, even that marriage came under strain, particularly when Jack had an affair with Rachel Hughes, the former step-daughter of Jack's brother Joe. Further arguments occurred over financial disagreements and when Sarah embarked on an affair with their lodger Richie Carter. She left Jack and a bitter custody battle ensued. Things reached a climax when Sarah was killed after Andy set fire to a barn so Jack could claim on the insurance when the family suffered from financial problems.
In 2000, Jack had developed a close relationship with The Woolpack's landlady Diane Blackstock, while he was having problems with his marriage to Sarah. Jack and Diane eventually married in September 2004. Cracks in the marriage formed in 2007 when Diane confessed to an affair with Andy's biological father Billy. Jack struggled to forgive Diane for her infidelity, but they reconciled shortly before Jack visited Annie in Spain, where he remained until his death from a heart attack in February 2009.
