Ahnentafel #1086 - John Mason

Major John Mason

Born: ca. 1600, England

Died: between May 9 & June 6, 1672 Norwich, Connecticut

Buried: Norwich Burying Ground

Married: 

1) (--?--) by 1638 in England or in Connecticut. 

2) Anne Peck, July 1639, Hingham, Massachusetts

Occupation:  Soldier, served in English army under Lord Fairfax in the Netherlands fighting on behalf of the Dutch against Spain. In 1630 he was in Sir Horace Vere's forces engaged in the battle of Bois-le-Duc.

• Made Captain by 1637
• Made Major June 1654

Magistrate:

• Deputy for Dorchester to Massachusetts Bay General Court, March 4, 1634/35, Sept. 2, 1635
• Connecticut Deputy Governor: May 1660, May 1661, May 1662, October 1662, May 1663, May 1664, May 1665, May 1666, May 1667, May 1668
• Deputy for Windsor to the Connecticut Court: November 1637, March 1638, April 1638, September 1639, February 1641, April 1641, September 1641
• Assistant 1642-1659, 1669-1671
• War Committee for Saybrook May 1653, October 1654
• Patentee, Royal Charter of Connecticut 1662
• Commissioner for United Colonies June 1654, May 1655, May 1656, May 1657, May 1660, May 1661
• Militia Committee, Connecticut, May 1667 - June 1672

John Mason was one of the most trusted men in Connecticut during his three and a half decades of residence there, in both civil and military matters. In his latter years the formal colony records referred to him as simply "the Major," without forename or surname. 

Immigration: 1632 to Dorchester, MA on the Mary & John

Records (selected):

1630 - April - Netherlands - John took part in the battle of Bois-le-Duc.

The Maid Brabant, as Bois-le-Duc was called, owing to her never having been taken, was the most important military station in the Brabant.  Sieur de Grubbendonck was governor of the town, Anthony Schets was in command of the fortress, and Count [p. 26] Henry de Berghe was in the field with a large force.  The Dutch were under the command of Prince Ferdinand and Lord Vere led the English, which were said to number over thirty thousand men.

 The place was gallantly defended' was stated in a letter written at Bois-le-Duc under date of May 12, 1630, by Thomas Fairfax, to his grandfather.  He described the place 'as one of great strength, with marshy ground on one side,' and mentions that 'the enemy kept up a sharp fire when the siege commenced, which had slackened.'  Bois-le-Duc surrendered in July, and shortly after Thomas Fairfax followed the wishes of his grandfather, and left the camp to 'travel in France, where he remained for about eighteen months, learning the language and other accomplishments.

It was during this period that Fairfax and Mason became comrades.  This friendship was based not only upon a mutual liking, but also on the high opinion Fairfax had formed of Mason's military talents.  Later, when Lord Fairfax was the commander of the Parliamentary forces, he urged Mason to return to England to accept a commission of high rank in that army.

1632 - Dorchester, MA - John settled in Dorchester for about 3 years upon his arrival from England.

1633 - July 2 - Massachusetts - "order is given to the Treasurer to deliver to Lieutenant Mason ￡10 for his voyage to the eastward, when he went about the taking of Bull. 

1634 - September 3 - Dorchester, Massachusetts - Captain Mason was appointed to a committee to "find out the convenient places for situation, as also to lay out the the several works for fortification at Castle Island, Charleton & Dorchester." 

1634/35 - February 10 - Dorchester, MA - granted 2 acres in town and six acres of meadow beyond Naponset in lot number 73.

1634/35 - March 4 -  Dorchester, MA - admitted as freeman

1635 - September 3 - Dorchester, MA - "Captain Mason is authorized by the Court to press men & carts to help towards the finishing of the fort at Castle Island & to return the same into the Court." 

1634 - December 29 - Dorchester, MA - A rate (tax) was collected for the support of Captain John Mason

1635 - Windsor, CT - John left Massachusetts and settled in Windsor.

1637 - May 1 - Connecticut - the General Court ordered that "there shall be an offensive war against the Pequoitt" and levied ninety men from the three towns of Hartford, Windsor & Wethersfield to be "under the command of Captain Jo[hn] Mason." His coming and goings during the Pequot War are occasionally noted by John Winthrop. He took a company of Englishmen up the river and rescued two English maids during this war. Mason himself wrote a report relating the details of the Pequot War. 

1637/38 - March 8 - Connecticut - the General Court "ordered that Captain Mason shall be a public military officer of the plantations of Conecticot, and shall train the military men thereof in each plantation."

1639 - May 22 - Massachusetts - Massachusetts Bay General Court awarded him ten pounds for his good service against the Pequot Indians. 

1640/41 - February 28 - Windsor, CT - land inventory, John Mason held seven parcels, six of which were granted to him:

• homelot with some additions to it, 10 acres
• in the palisado where his house stands and mead[ow] adjoining twenty acres and half
• in the first mead[ow] on the northside of the rivulet, for mead[ow] and addition in swamp eight acres
• in the northwest field for upland eight acres with some addition on the bank side
• over the Great River in breadth by the river twenty-six rods more or less and continues that breadth to the east side of the west marsh and there it is but sixteen rods in breadth and so continues to the end of the three miles
• twelve acres of land by Rocky Hill
• by deed of exchange with Thomas Duy [Dewey] . . . on the east side of the Great River in breadth eighteen rods more or less, in length three miles. 

1641/42 - January 5 - Connecticut - the colony government granted him land:

"that Captain Mason shall have 500 acres of ground, for him and his heirs, about Pequoyt Country, and the dispose of 500 more to such soldiers as joined with him in the service when they conquered the Indians there." 

1644 - July 12 - Windsor, CT - deed for land sold by John to William Hosford - eight acres in a little meadow with addition of swamp. 

1647 - Saybrook, CT - John moved south to Saybrook Colony by order of the Connecticut court:

"that Captain Mason should for the peace, safety and good assurance of the Commonwealth, have the command of all soldiers and inhabitants of Seabrooke, and in case of alarum or danger by approach of an enemy, to draw forth or put the said soldiers & inhabitants in such posture for the defense of the place as to him shall seem best," and "whereas Captain Mason, at the special instance & request of the inhabitants of Seabrooke, together with the good liking of the Commonwealth, did leave his habitation in the River and repair thither, to exercise a place of trust. It is this day ordred, that his former salary of ￡40 per annum be continued." 

1647/48 - winter - Saybrook, CT - John Winthrop recorded in his diary that "in the depth of winter, in a very tempestuous night, the fort at Saybrook was set on fire, and all the buildings within the palisado, with all the goods, etc., were burnt down, Captain Mason, his wife, and children, hardly saved. The loss was estimated at one thousand pounds, and not known how the fire came." 

1651 - September 11 - Chippachauge Island - John Mason granted the island in Mystic Bay, along with 100 acres of upland and 10 acres of meadow near Mystic, Connecticut, "where he shall make choice." 

1654 - June 13 - Connecticut - John Mason & Captain John Cullick were sent to Boston as agents of Connecticut, to discuss Cromwell's plans for fighting the Dutch at New Amsterdam. 

1657 - April - Connecticut - John Mason received a commission to go to Southampton and investigate complaints of the residents regarding depredations made by the Montauk Indians. 

1659 - Norwich, CT - John moved with a large group of Saybrook colonists north to found the town of Norwich. 

1660/61 - March 14 - Norwich, CT - Deed made out to John Mason for obtaining Indian lands for the colony of Connecticut:

"jurisdiction power over that land that Uncas and Wawequa have made over to Major Mason is by him surrendered to this Colony. Nevertheless for the laying out of those lands to farms and plantations the Court doth leave it in the hands of Major Mason. It is also ordered and provided with the consent of Major Mason, that Uncus & Wawequa and their Indians and successors shall be supplied with sufficient planting ground at all times as the Court sees cause out of that land. And the Major doth reserve for himself a competence of land sufficient to make a farm."

1663 - May 15 - Connecticut - John Mason granted 500 acres by the court as deputy governor. 

1664 - October 13 - Norwich, CT - John Mason chose his land as granted:

"Major propounding to the Court to take up his former grant of a farm, at a place by the Indians called Pomakuck, near Norwich, the Court grans liberty to him to take up his former grant in that place, upon the same terms as it was granted to him by the Court." 

1668 - May 20 - Connecticut - John Mason petitioned the court for more land for his children:

"Major desiring this Court to grant him a farm of about three hundred acres, for one of his sons, his desire is hereby granted (provided there be not above thirty acres of meadow) and Lt. Griswold & Ensign Tracy are hereby desired to lay it out to him in some convenient place near that tract of land granted Jer[emiah] Adams, it being the place the Major hath pitched upon, the name of the place is Uncupsitt, provided it prejudice no plantation or former grant. 

1669 - October 9 - Norwich, CT - appears as "Major John Mason" in the list of Connecticut freemen in Norwich. 

1672 - May 9 - Norwich, CT - "Ensign Tracy is appointed to join with Sergeant Tho[mas] Leffingwell in laying out to the Major and Mr. Howkins their grants of land according to their grants. 

Child by first wife:

Israel [has been referred to Isabel incorrectly] b. by 1638, md. 1658 John Bissell

• Mary Bissell b. 1658/59, d. 1690 md. 1) 1681 Daniel Owen, 2) Joseph Birge
• Daniel Birge b. 1682
• Jeremy Birge b. 1686
• Joseph Birge md. 1721 Dorothy Kilbourn
• John Bissell b. 1661, d. before 1690 - no children
• Daniel Bissell b. 1663, d. 1738 md. 1) 1692 Margaret Dewey, 2) Elizabeth (--?--)
• Daniel Bissell b. 1694, d. 1770 md. 1717/18 Jerusha Fitch daughter of James & Alice (Bradford) (Adams) Fitch
• Jabish Bissell
• Daniel Bissell
• Fitch Bissell
• Jerusha Bissell
• Margaret Bissell
• Lucy Bissell
• Margaret Bissell b. 1698, d. 1761 md. 1722 Asaph Leavitt
• Mary Bissell b. 1701, d. 1787 never married
• Ezekiel Bissell b. 1705 md. 1742 Ruth Devotion
• Ann Bissell b. 1709/10, d. 1768 md. 1740 John Granger
• Oliver Granger
• Lucy Granger
• Margaret Granger md. (--?--) Harman
• Dorothy Bissell b. 1665 md. Samuel Stoughton
• Samuel Stoughton b. 1702, d. 1789 md. Abial (--?--)
• Israel d. 1712
• Josiah Bissell b. 1670 md. 1703 Miriam (Gibbs) Hayden
• Hezekiah Bissell b. 1673 d. 1709 - no children
• Ann Bissell b. 1675, d. 1709 md. 1704 Daniel White
• Joel White b. 1705
• Elisha White b. 1706
• Simeon White b. 1707/08 
• Jeremiah Bissell b. 1677, md. 1705 Mehitabel White
• Samuel Bissell b. ca. 1679, d. 1720 never married 

Ann d. 1640 - may be daughter of first wife (unclear)

Children by Anne Peck:

Priscilla 

Samuel b. 1644 md. 1) 1670 Judith Smith, 2) 1694 Elizabeth Peck

• John b. 1676, d. 1705 never married
• Anne md. 1701 John Mason III, son of John & Abigail (Fitch) below.
• Sarah md. 1703 Joseph Fitch
• Samuel b. 1695, d. 1701
• Elizabeth b. 1697, d. 1725 md. 1720 William Worthington
• Mary Worthington b. 1721, d. 1785 md. 1745 Aaron Elliot
• Hannah Elliot b. 1746 md. 1773 Reuben Hopkins
• Mary Elliot b. 1752 md. ca. 1798 Christopher Ely - no children
• Samuel Elliot b. 1753 md. 1) 1779 Margaret Williams 2) 1803 Sarah Bailey
• William Elliot b. 1755, d. 1829 md. Ethelinda Ely
• Aaron Elliot b. 1758, d. 1811 md. 1782 Gloriana Austin
• Joseph Elliot b. 1760, d. ca. 1798 md. (--?--) McKinstry 
• Benjamin b. 1762, d. 1848 md. Frances Panca
• Sybil Worthington b. 1723, d. 1724
• Hannah b. 1699, d. 1724 never married

John b. 1646, d. 1676 King Philip's War md. ca. 1670 Abigail Fitch

• John III b. 1673, d. 1736 md. 1) 1701 Anne Mason daughter of Samuel above, 2) 1719 Anne (Sanford) Noyes
• John b. 1702
• Rachel bapt. 1706
• Samuel bapt. 1707
• Jemima bapt. 1709
• James bapt. 1713 md. 1738 Sarah Denison
• Elijah bapt. 1715, d. 1798 md. Martha Brown (dau. of Ebenezer & Sarah (Hyde) Brown below)- no children
• Peleg b. 1720 md. 1742 Mary Stanton
• Anne b. 1743
• Peleg b. 1746, d. 1787 never married
• Esther b. 1748 md. 1768 Daniel Tilden
• Mary b. 1751 md. 1771 John Terry
• Lucy b. 1753
• Elijah b. 1756 
• James b. 1759
• Ann md. 1690 John Denison
• John Denison b. 1692
• Daniel Denison b. 1693
• James Denison b. 1695
• Abigail Denison b. 1696

Rachel b. 1648, md. 1678 Charles Hill

Ann (2nd) b. 1650 md. 1672 John Brown

• John Brown b. 1675, d. 1752 md. 1696 Abigail Cole
• Lydia Brown b. 1679, d. 1759 md. 1705 Joseph Wadsworth
• John Wadsworth b. 1706
• Mary Wadsworth b. 1707
• Martha Wadsworth b. 1710
• Martha Brown b. 1681 md. Eleazer Fitch
• Daniel Brown b. 1683 d. before 1686
• Ebenezer Brown b. 1685 ,d. ca. 1755 md. 1714 Sarah Hyde
• John Brown b. 1714
• Joseph Brown b. 1717 md. 1736 Eunice Allen
• Abiah Brown b. 1741
• Elisha Brown b. 1744
• Sarah Brown b. 1753
• Rachel Brown b. 1755
• Daniel md. 1745 Lucy Owen
• Ebenezer b. 1745
• Martha Brown bapt. 1722 md. Elijah Mason see above
• Lydia Brown b. 1720, d. 1778 md. 1752 Ichabod Robinson
• Joseph Robinson b. 1752, d. 1813 never married
• William Robinson b. 1754, d. 1825 md. 1) 1780 Naomi Wolcott, 2) 1783 Sophia Mosely 3) 1787 Anne Mills 4) 1790 Elizabeth Norton
• Mary Robinson b. 1755, d. 1790 never married
• Lydia Robinson b. 1757, d. 1825 never married
• John Robinson b. 1760, d. 1832 md. 1) Abigail Durry, 2) Elizabeth Tiffany 
• Earnest Robinson b. 1763, d. 1765
• Anne Brown bapt. 1726 md. (--?--) Bissel - no children
• Daniel Brown (2nd) b. 1686
• Stephen Brown b. 1688 md. 1) Mary Risley, 2) Abigail (--?--), 3) Mary Jacobs
• Abigail Brown b. 1731
• Mary Brown b. 1738
• Stephen Brown md. Mary Shattuck
• John Brown b. 1742 md. 1763 Sybil Barrows
• Roswell Brown b. 1765 never married
• Lydia Brown b. 1767 md. William Spafford
• John Brown b. 1769 md. 1) 1793 Olive Martin 2) Elizabeth Palmer, 3) Elizabeth Fitch
• Eunice Brown b. 1772
• Asenath Brown
• Sybil Brown
• Lucinda Brown
• Joseph Brown b. 1690

Daniel b. 1652, d. 1737 md. 1) ca. 1673 Margaret Denison, 2) 1679 Rebecca Hobart

• Daniel b. 1674, d. 1717 md. 1704 Dorothy Hobart
• Jeremiah b. 1705, d. 1779 md. 1727 Mary Clark
• Daniel b. 1728, d. 1730
• Jeremiah b. 1730, d. 1813 md. 1754 Elizabeth Fitch
• Dorothy b. 1732 md. 1750 Joseph Marsh
• Daniel (2nd) b. 1735, d. 1752
• Mary b. 1736 md. 1756 Nathan Huntington, son of David & Mary (Mason) Huntington below
• Anna b. 1739 md. 1759 William Whiting
• David b. 1742, d. 1804 md. 1762 Susanna West
• Elizabeth b. 1744, d. 1771 md. 1768 Theodore Sedgwick no children
• Hezekiah b. 1677, d. 1726 md. 1) 1699 Anne Bingham, 2) 1726 Sarah Robinson
• Rachel b. 1701, d. 1701 2 days old
• Hannah b. 1702 
• Anne b. 1704 md. 1720 Thomas Dimmock
• Silas Dimmock b. 1721, d. 1721
• son b. 1722, d. 1722 3 days old
• Jesse Dimmock b. 1726, d. 1726 10 months old
• Anne Dimmock b. 1728
• Thomas Dimmock b. 1730
• Desire Dimmock b. 1732
• Lott Dimmock b. 1734
• Seth Dimmock b. 1736, d. 1748
• Hezekiah Dimmock b. 1739
• Mary md. 1725 David Huntington
• Nathan Huntington b. 1726 md. 1) 1752 Mary Burleigh 2) 1756 Mary Mason, daughter of Jeremiah above
• Hezekiah Huntington b. 1728 md. 1754 Submit Murdock
• Anne Huntington b. 1730 md. 1755 Samuel Roundy
• David Huntington b. 1733, d. 1733 1 day old
• Mary Huntington b. 1735 md. 1750 Ebenezer Fitch
• Lydia Huntington b. 1737, d. 1737 1 day old
• David Huntington (2nd) b. 1743
• Rachel b. 1707 md. 1727Charles Mudge
• Lydia Mudge b. 1738, d. 1768 md. 1748 Samuel Bingham
• Mary Mudge b. 1732 md. 1761 Napthali Webb
• Anne Mudge md. 1754 Samuel Kimball 
• Rachel Mudge b. 1738 
• William Mudge b. 1741 md. 1762 Mary Spencer
• Daniel d. after 1731 never married
• Jonathan b. 1715
• Lydia b. 1727
• Abigail md. Jacob Lincoln
• Peter b. 1680, md. 1703 Mary Hobart
• Peter b. 1704, d. 1704 16 days old
• daughter b. 1705, d. soon
• Daniel b. 1707, d. 1750 md. 1734 Hannah Chappel
• Joseph b. 1736
• Alithea b. 1739
• Priscilla b. 1746
• Daniel b. 1749
• Japhet b. 1709, d. 1711
• Mary b. 1711
• Japhet (2nd) b. 1713 md. (--?--) Chappel
• Abigail b. 1715 md. 1737 Samuel Lester 
• Peter (2nd) b. 1717 md. Margaret Fanning
• Alithea b. 1720
• Rebecca b. 1682 md. 1707 Elisha Chesebrough
• Margaret b. 1683
• Samuel b. 1686 md. 1) 1712 Elizabeth Fitch, 2) 1720 Rebecca Lippincott
• Mehitable b. 1713, d. 1713 21 days old
• Elizabeth b. 1720
• Rebecca b. 1722, d. 1723
• Rebecca (2nd) b. 1724 d. before 1728
• Samuel b. 1726
• Rebecca (3rd) b. 1728
• Prudence b. 1730, d. 1759 never married
• Ianthe b. 1752
• Elnathan b. 1732 
• Mehitable (2nd) (twin) b. 1734
• Eunice (twin) b. 1734
• Abigail b. 1639
• Priscilla b. 1691 md. 1710 Theophilus Baldwin
• Nehemiah b. 1693, d. 1768 md. 1722 Zerviah Stanton
• Hobart b. 1722 md. 1748 Margaret Copp
• Andrew b. 1724, d. 1728
• Hannah b. 1726 md. 1750 Henry Gallup
• Andrew (2nd) b. 1730 md. Mary Gallup
• Jared b. 1733 md. 1755 Hannah Parke
• Zerviah b. 1735 md. (--?--) Holmes
• Zerviah Holmes
• Mary Holmes

Elizabeth b. 1654 md. 1676/77 James Fitch

• James Fitch b. 1678, d. 1678 1 week old
• James Fitch (2nd) b. 1679 - no further record
• Jedidiah Fitch b. 1681, d. 1756 md. 1701 Abigail Coffin
• Samuel Fitch b. 1683, d. 1729 md. Mary (--?--)
• James Fitch
• Samuel Fitch
• Sarah Fitch
• Mary Fitch
• John Fitch
• Esther Fitch
• Elizabeth Fitch