Marshall was a prolific author, broadcaster and Presbyterian Minister from Sixmilecross. He had a great knowledge of Mid Ulster English and wrote Ulster Sails West, about Ulster people settling in America.
He was born in Tyrone in the town of Sixmilecross. He was born in 1888 and lived to be 71.
He was well known for: Fiction Nonfiction Poetry
Marshalls father was principal teacher at Sixmilecross National School, where he was first educated. He was further educated at Royal School Dungannon (for which Marshall wrote the school song) and then Queens College Galway. He served as a Presbyterian Minister at Castlerock, County Londonderry for over thirty years. Known as The Bard of Tyrone, Marshall composed poems such as Hi Uncle Sam, Me an me Da (subtitled Livin in Drumlister), Sarah Ann and Our Son.
Marshall was a leading authority on Mid Ulster English (the predominant dialect of Ulster), and broadcast a series on the BBC entitled Ulster Speech. A prolific writer and poet, he also wrote Ulster Sails West, a book on people from Ulster who settled in North America during the 18th century. The W.F. Marshall Summer School is an annual event held at Magee College in Derry in honour of Marshall.