John Maitland Marshall was the son of John Marshall of Tavistock, who went to London to set up an educational publishing business in Paternoster Square. He published early grammar books and multiplication tables before these became more general. John Maitland Marshall served his apprenticeship in his father's firm from the age of 15 and, when his father died, took over and in due course sold the business.

John Maitland Marshall married Emma Katherine Man, known as Kitty, and had four children. His youngest daughter, Hilary, was educated at Wycombe Abbey where she became Head Girl. It was here that Marshall met the three school mistresses, Miss Sheldon, Miss Bird and Miss Hindle and helped them financially in their plan to found a new girls' public school.

Their first premises were at Bickley.  When the Founders looked for more suitable premises for the new school, John Maitland Marshall encouraged them to be bold and overcome their understandable reluctance at the thought of buying such an enormous estate as Hemsted Manor with no more than a handful of girls to put in it.

His generosity and support continued when he became a member of the Council and he and his wife were frequent visitors to the school.

Five of his grandaughters, Jessamy James, Stella and Una Ebden, and Jane and Rosalind Brooke, one great granddaughter, Penelope Forrester and four of Kitty Man's relations, Peggy Durnford, and Felicity, Pauline and Susan Man all went to Benenden. The wife of Frank Man, Allwynne Reis, also attended the school.

John Maitland Marshall was generous to the School in financial terms and through his advice. He financed a scholarship and several prizes and was influential in seeing that there were proper terms of employment for staff, including those of Busby, the butler and Purver, the gardener (who grew cyclamen in his favourite colour - the Marshall House colour).

Stage directions for a scene from the Ballad of Benenden reads:

“Mr and Mrs Marshall and their grandson approach from the Dutch Garden. Mr Marshall, as was his custom, is carrying seven boxes of chocolates, one for each House and one for the Morning Room.”

John Maitland would have been delighted to have had a House named after him, but sadly he died in 1933, two years before Marshall House came into being.

 Benenden School Archives

With thanks to Stella Hardaker (Ebden) H39