Born in Scotland on April 25, 1745, John Shaw was the son of John and Mary Cassels Shaw. He is believed to have immigrated in 1763 to Annapolis, where he worked for cabinetmakers or joiners before he began working independently. Ledgers kept by James Brice, a wealthy planter, show that Shaw was working as a journeyman in 1768 at the age of 23. He worked for Brice in a variety of construction projects.
