John P. Marshall was born in New Alresford, Hampshire, England, October 11, 1846. His father was William Marshall, a contractor and builder of that town. Leaving school, John P. Marshall worked in the drygoods business at Southampton, and at Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, until 1865, when he came to Montreal where he worked in the wholesale drygoods business until September, 1868, when he moved to Chicago. In February, 1870, he came to Wakefield and took up land southwest of town. This he farmed until January, 1890, when he was called to take the management of the Co-operative Store in Wakefield, a position he still holds. He married in June, 1872, Miss Adelaide Pearson, of Baltimore, Maryland, and of their children two girls and three boys are living.