William Mason (1757–1818)
Encyclopedia
William Mason was a militiaman in the American Revolutionary War
and a prominent Virginia
planter. Mason was the son of George Mason
, an American patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention.
and his wife Ann Eilbeck. Like his brothers, Mason was educated by tutors at Gunston Hall
.
, Mason served in the Fairfax Militia fighting under Henry Lee III in South Carolina
. He was commissioned a Captain. In 1780, Mason's father declined an offer by Lee to continue his military service because his father felt Mason's "lot must be that of a farmer and gentleman." Mason was presented with a sword by General George Washington
, which was said to have been given to him by Charles III of Spain
. Mason returned to private life between December 1780 and June 1781.
and Mattawoman
, in Charles County
, Maryland
, from his maternal grandmother, Sarah Eilbeck. The Mason family occupied Araby until 1849. In 1849, 402 acres (1.6 km²) including the mansion were sold by Mason's daughter Mary Elizabeth Mason to William Thompson.
Mason also received all his father's properties in Charles County. These properties were located along Chicamuxen and Mattawoman
Creeks.
in King George
, Virginia. The couple had five children:
, Maryland
at age 60.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and a prominent Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
planter. Mason was the son of George Mason
George Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
, an American patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention.
Early life and education
Mason was born on 22 October 1757. He was the fourth child and third eldest son of George MasonGeorge Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
and his wife Ann Eilbeck. Like his brothers, Mason was educated by tutors at Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall is an 18th-century Georgian mansion near the Potomac River in Mason Neck, Virginia, United States of America. The house was the home of the United States Founding Father George Mason. It was located at the center of a 5500 acre plantation...
.
American Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Mason served in the Fairfax Militia fighting under Henry Lee III in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. He was commissioned a Captain. In 1780, Mason's father declined an offer by Lee to continue his military service because his father felt Mason's "lot must be that of a farmer and gentleman." Mason was presented with a sword by General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, which was said to have been given to him by Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
. Mason returned to private life between December 1780 and June 1781.
Properties
In 1780, Mason inherited the Eilbeck family estates, ArabyAraby (Mason's Springs, Maryland)
Araby is a historic home located near Mason Springs, Charles County, Maryland. It was the home of William and Sarah Eilbeck, whose daughter Anne married George Mason. George Washington recorded many visits to Araby. It is a mid-18th century house that was extensively altered in the mid 19th century...
and Mattawoman
Mattawoman (plantation)
Mattawoman was an 18th-century plantation on Mattawoman Creek in Charles County, Maryland, United States.- History :Mattawoman was the country estate of Colonel William Eilbeck, a wealthy planter and merchant, and his wife Sarah Edgar. On 4 April 1750, Colonel Eilbeck's only child, 16-year-old Ann,...
, in Charles County
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, from his maternal grandmother, Sarah Eilbeck. The Mason family occupied Araby until 1849. In 1849, 402 acres (1.6 km²) including the mansion were sold by Mason's daughter Mary Elizabeth Mason to William Thompson.
Mason also received all his father's properties in Charles County. These properties were located along Chicamuxen and Mattawoman
Mattawoman Creek
Mattawoman Creek is a coastal-plain tributary to the tidal Potomac River with a mouth at Indian Head, Maryland, downstream of Washington, D.C. It comprises a river flowing through Prince George's and Charles counties and a tidal-freshwater estuary in Charles County...
Creeks.
Marriage and children
Mason married Ann Stuart, daughter of William and Sarah Stuart, on 11 July 1793 at St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchSt. Paul's Episcopal Church (King George, Virginia)
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, built in the late 1760s, is an historic Episcopal church locatedat 5486 St. Paul's Road, off Virginia Route 206 in the Owens area of King George, Virginia in the United states. It is the parish church of historic St. Paul's Parish which was formed in the early 1660s. On...
in King George
King George, Virginia
King George is a census-designated place in and the county seat of King George County, Virginia, United States, sometimes referred to as King George Courthouse because it is the location of the King George County Courthouse. The population as of the 2010 Census was 4,457...
, Virginia. The couple had five children:
- William Stuart Mason (1795–7 March 1857)
- George Mason of Hollin HallHollin HallHollin Hall is an 18th century plantation home on Little Hunting Creek three miles southwest of Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia. George Mason, a United States founding father, gave Hollin Hall to his third son, Thomson Mason, through deeds of gift in 1781 and 1786. The land, as given,...
(11 November 1797–25 March 1870) - Ann Sarah Stuart Mason Heileman (1803–9 November 1852)
- Edgar Eilbeck Mason (1807–8 January 1835)
- Mary Elizabeth Mason (1810–2 February 1885)
Later life
Mason died on 7 February 1818 at Mattawoman in Charles CountyCharles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
at age 60.
Relations
William Mason (1757–1814) was:- a son of George Mason (1725–1792)
- nephew of Thomson MasonThomson MasonThomson Mason was a prominent Virginia lawyer, jurist, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Mason was a younger brother of George Mason IV, United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S...
(1733–1785) - first cousin of Stevens Thomson MasonStevens Thomson Mason (Virginia)Stevens Thomson Mason was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, a member of the Virginia state legislature and a Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia .-Early life and military career:...
(1760–1803), John Thomson MasonJohn Thomson MasonJohn Thomson Mason, Jr. was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland, representing the sixth district from 1841 to 1843.-Early life and education:...
(1765–1824), and William Temple Thomson MasonWilliam Temple Thomson MasonWilliam Temple Thomson Mason was a prominent Virginia farmer and businessman.-Early life:William Temple Thomson Mason was born on 24 July 1782 at Raspberry Plain. "Temple", as he was known by his family, was Thomson Mason's third child and youngest son with his second wife Elizabeth Westwood Wallace...
(1782–1862) - uncle of George Mason VIGeorge Mason VIGeorge Mason VI was a prominent Virginia planter. Mason was the eldest son of planter and businessman George Mason V and grandson of United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S...
(1786–1834) and Richard Barnes MasonRichard Barnes MasonRichard Barnes Mason was a career general officer in the United States Army and the fifth military governor of California before it became a U.S. state.-Early life:...
(1797–1850), Thomson Francis MasonThomson Francis MasonThomson Francis Mason was a prominent jurist, lawyer, councilman, judge, and the mayor of Alexandria, District of Columbia between 1827 and 1830.-Early life and education:...
(1785–1838), and James Murray Mason (1798–1871) - first cousin once removed of Armistead Thomson MasonArmistead Thomson MasonArmistead Thomson Mason , the son of Stevens Thomson Mason, was a U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1816 to 1817.-Early life and education:...
(1787–1819), John Thomson MasonJohn Thomson Mason (1787–1850)John Thomson Mason was an American lawyer, United States marshal, Secretary of Michigan Territory from 1830 through 1831, land agent, and an important figure in the Texas Revolution.-Early life and education:...
(1787–1850), and John Thomson Mason, Jr. (1815–1873), and - first cousin twice removed of Stevens Thomson MasonStevens T. MasonStevens Thomson Mason , also known as Stevens T. Mason, Tom Mason, The Boy Governor, and lesser known nicknames Young Hotspur and The Stripling, was the territorial governor of the Michigan Territory, and later the first Governor of the state of Michigan. Mason guided the Michigan Territory into...
(1811–1843).