Mason family

For other uses, see Mason (surname).
Mason
Ethnicity English
Current region Eastern United States
Place of origin Pershore, Worcestershire, England
Members George Mason IV
Stevens Thomson Mason (1760–1803)
Armistead Thomson Mason
James Murray Mason
John Thomson Mason, Jr.
Stevens Thomson Mason (1811–1843)
Connected families Fairfax family
Fitzhugh family
Lee family
Mercer family
Randolph family
Estate Gunston Hall

The Mason family of Virginia is a historically significant American political family of English origin, whose prominent members are known for their accomplishments in politics, business, and the military. The progenitor of the Mason family, George Mason I (5 June 1629–1686),[1][2] arrived at Norfolk, Virginia on the ship Assurance in 1652.[2][3] Mason was a Cavalier member of the Parliament of England during the reign of Charles I of England. George Mason I's great-grandson was George Mason IV (11 December 1725–7 October 1792), an American patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention. Along with James Madison, George Mason IV is known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights."[4][5][6][7] For these reasons, Mason is considered one of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States[8][9] and raised the Mason family to national political prominence.

George Mason II (1660–1716)[2][3][10] and his son George Mason III (1690–5 March 1735)[2][3][11][12] both served as a member of the House of Burgesses, Stafford County sheriff, Stafford County county lieutenant, Stafford County militia colonel, planters, and businesspersons. George Mason III's son and George Mason IV's younger brother, Thomson Mason (14 August 1733–26 February 1785),[13] was a patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention. Thomson Mason's son, Stevens Thomson Mason (29 December 1760–9 May 1803)[14][15] served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, a member of the Virginia state legislature, and as a Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia (1794–1803). Another of Thomson Mason's sons, John Thomson Mason (15 March 1765–10 December 1824)[15][16] was a jurist and Attorney General of Maryland in 1806.[15] Thomson Mason's grandson John Thomson Mason (8 January 1787–17 April 1850)[15][17][18][19] was a lawyer, United States marshal, Secretary of Michigan Territory from 1830 through 1831,[15] land agent, and an important figure in the Texas Revolution.[18] His son Stevens Thomson Mason (27 October 1811–4 January 1843),[20][21] was also territorial governor of the Michigan Territory, and later governor of the state of Michigan.[20][21] He was first appointed acting Territorial Secretary at the age of 19, then became acting Territorial Governor in 1834 at the age of 22. George Mason IV's grandson James Murray Mason (November 3, 1798 – April 28, 1871)[15][22] was a United States Representative and United States Senator from Virginia and represented the Confederate States of America as appointed commissioner of the Confederacy to Great Britain and France between 1861 and 1865 during the American Civil War.

Members of the Mason family

References

  1. ↑ Gunston Hall. "George Mason I". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 French Family Association (2008). "Children of Dennis French, A.2". French Family Association. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  3. 1 2 3 Lee Woolf (2002-04-07). "George Mason gets memorial in D.C.". The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  4. ↑ "The New United States of America Adopted the Bill of Rights: December 15, 1791". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  5. ↑ Heymsfeld, Carla R.; Lewis, Joan W. (1991). George Mason, father of the Bill of Rights. Alexandria, Va.: Patriotic Education Inc. ISBN 0-912530-16-2.
  6. ↑ Spratt, Tammy. "Father" of Our Country vs. "Father" of the Bill of Rights". The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  7. ↑ "Bill of Rights Day - December 15th". Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  8. ↑ Yardley, Jonathan (November 5, 2006). A founding father insisted that the Constitution wasn't worth ratifying without a bill of rights. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  9. ↑ Henderson, Denise; Henderson, Frederic W. (March 15, 1993). How The Founding Fathers Fought For An End To Slavery. The American Almanac. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  10. ↑ Gunston Hall. "George Mason II". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  11. ↑ Gunston Hall. "George Mason III". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  12. ↑ arlisherring.com (9 Feb 2008). "Lt. Col. George Mason III". arlisherring.com. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  13. ↑ Gunston Hall. "Thomson Mason". Gunston Hall. Archived from the original on 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  14. ↑ Gunston Hall. "Stevens Thomson Mason". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Political Graveyard (June 16, 2008). "Mason family of Virginia". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  16. ↑ Gunston Hall. "John Thomson Mason". Gunston Hall. Archived from the original on 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  17. ↑ Gunston Hall. "John Thomson Mason". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  18. 1 2 Texas State Historical Association (January 18, 2008). "MASON, JOHN THOMSON". The Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 2009-03-08. External link in |publisher= (help)
  19. ↑ Rowland, Kate Mason (January 11, 1908). General John Thompson Mason. Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association.
  20. 1 2 Gunston Hall. "Stevens Thomson Mason". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  21. 1 2 The Political Graveyard (June 16, 2008). "Mason family of Virginia". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  22. ↑ Gunston Hall. "James Murray Mason". Gunston Hall. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
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