Mason family

For other uses, see Mason (surname).

Not to be confused with Manson Family.

Mason

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
Taliaferro family
Spannagel family
Street family
Estate(s)| 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 (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 (1725–1792), 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 (1690–1735)[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 (1733–1785),[13] was a patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention. Thomson Mason's son, Stevens Thomson Mason (1760–1803)[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 (1765–1824)[15][16] was a jurist and Attorney General of Maryland in 1806.[15] Thomson Mason's grandson John Thomson Mason (1787–1850)[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 (1811–1843),[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 (1798–1871)[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.

## Notable members of the Mason family[edit]

* George Mason I (1629–1686)
* George Mason II (1660–1716)
* George Mason III (1690–1735)
* George Mason IV (1725–1792)
* George Mason V (1753–1796)
* George Mason VI (1786–1834)[23]
* George Thomson Mason (1818–1846)
* Richard Barnes Mason (1797–1850)
* William Mason (1757–1818)
* Thomson Mason (1759–1820)
* Thomson Francis Mason (1785–1838)
* Arthur Pendleton Mason (1835–1893)
* Richard Chichester Mason (1793–1869)
* Beverley Randolph Mason (1834–1910)
* Richard Nelson Mason (1876–1940)
* Langdon Randolph Mason (1841–1923)
* Lucy Randolph Mason (1882–1959)
* William Pinckney Mason (1843–1923)
* John Mason (1766–1849)
* James Murray Mason (1798–1871)
* Anne Maria Mason Lee (1811–1898)
* Fitzhugh Lee (1835–1905)
* Thomas Mason (1770–1800)
* Thomson Mason (1733–1785)
* Stevens Thomson Mason (1760–1803)
* John Thomson Mason (1787–1850)
* Stevens Thomson Mason (1811–1843)
* Catherine Armistead Mason Rowland (1818–1884)
* Kate Mason Rowland (1840–1916)
* Armistead Thomson Mason (1787–1819)
* John Thomson Mason (1765–1824)
* John Thomson Mason Jr. (1815–1873)
* William Temple Thomson Mason (1782–1862)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Gunston Hall. "George Mason I". [Gunston Hall]. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
2. ^ a b c d French Family Association (2008). "Children of Dennis French, A.2". [French Family Association]. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
3. ^ a b c Lee Woolf (2002-04-07). "George Mason gets memorial in D.C." [The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company]. Archived from the original on 2012-12-08. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
4. ^ "The New United States of America Adopted the Bill of Rights: December 15, 1791". The Library of Congress. Archived from the original on November 29, 2007. 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. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
7. ^ "Bill of Rights Day – December 15th". Bill of Rights Defense Committee. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02. 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]. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
11. ^ Gunston Hall. "George Mason III". [Gunston Hall]. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. 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.[dead link]
15. ^ a b c d e f 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.[dead link]
18. ^ a b Texas State Historical Association (January 18, 2008). "MASON, JOHN THOMSON". [The Handbook of Texas Online]. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
19. ^ Rowland, Kate Mason (January 11, 1908). General John Thompson Mason. Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association.
20. ^ a b Gunston Hall. "Stevens Thomson Mason". [Gunston Hall]. Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
21. ^ a b 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.[dead link]
23. ^ leased "Spring Bank" to Alexandria slavetrader John Armfield, per Joshua D. Rothman, The Ledger and the Chain: How Domestic Slave Traders Shaped America (New York: Basic Books 2021) p. 228 ISBN 978-1-5416-1661-5

* v
* t
* e

The Mason family

First generation|

George Mason I

Second generation|

George Mason II

Third generation|

George Mason III

Fourth generation|

George Mason IV
Thomson Mason (1733–1785)

Fifth generation|

George Mason V
William Mason
Thomson Mason (1759–1820)
Stevens Thomson Mason (1760–1803)
John Thomson Mason (1765–1824)
John Mason
Thomas Mason
William Temple Thomson Mason

Sixth generation|

Thomson Francis Mason
John Thomson Mason (1787–1850)
Armistead Thomson Mason
Richard Chichester Mason
Richard Barnes Mason
James M. Mason
John Thomson Mason (1815–1873)

Seventh generation|

Stevens Thomson Mason (1811–1843)
Beverley Randolph Mason
Arthur Pendleton Mason
William Pinckney Mason

Eighth generation|

Kate Mason Rowland
Richard Nelson Mason
Lucy Randolph Mason

Mason family residences
Accokeek
Analostan Island
Araby
Chestnut Hill
Chopawamsic
Clarens
Clermont
Colross
Gunston Hall
Hollin Hall
Huntley
Lexington
Locust Hill
Mattawoman
Montpelier
Okeley Manor
Raspberry Plain
Selma
Stafford Hall
Temple Hall
Woodbridge

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

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