Mason Family
MASON FAMILY from Paul Heinegg
1.Sarah Mason, born say 1723, was living in St. Ann's Parish, Essex County, Virginia, on 21 June 1743 when the court ordered that she be sold for five years as punishment for having a "Mulatto" child [Orders 1742-3, 189]. She may have been the mother of
2i. Nell, born say 1743.
3ii. Thomas1, born say 1750.
2.Nell Mason, born say 1743, no race indicated, was living in Antrim Parish, Halifax County, Virginia, on 16 August 1770 when the court ordered the churchwardens to bind out her six unnamed children [Pleas 1770-2, 7]. She may have been the mother of
i. Patrick, born about 1762, married Patsey Going, 3 December 1790 Caswell County bond, Zachariah Hill bondsman. He was taxable in St. Lawrence District, Caswell County, in 1790 [NC:83] and was head of a Person County household of 6 "other free" in 1800 [NC:613] and 10 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:498]. He was a "Mulatto" taxable in the southern district of Halifax County, Virginia, from 1805 to 1807 [PPTL, 1800-12, frame 529, 636, 689]. He made a declaration in Person County court on 12 May 1828 to obtain a pension for his services in the Revolution. He stated that he was born about 1762 and enlisted for twelve months on 1 April 1780 [NCGSJ XIV:172].
ii. Ralph, born before 1776, head of a Stokes County household of 2 "free colored" in 1820 [NC:357].
iii. William1, "F.B." head of a Bedford County household of 9 "other free" in 1810 [VA:472].
iv. Jesse2, born about 1786, a "FN" taxable in the southern district of Halifax County, Virginia, in 1807 [PPTL, 1800-12, frame 689]. He registered in Halifax County on 25 May 1831: of Dark complexion, aged 45 years, five feet 6 inches high, was born free [Registers of Free Negroes, 1802-1831, no. 165].
v. Nancy, born about 1795, registered in Halifax County, Virginia, on 25 May 1831: dark Complexion, about 36 years of age, five feet 2 inches high, was born free [Registers of Free Negroes, 1802-1831, no. 169].
3.Thomas1 Mason, born say 1742, was taxable in St. James District, Caswell County, North Carolina, from 1777 to 1778. He was living in Caswell County on 7 November 1788 when he purchased 133 acres on Cobbs Creek from James Kanedy [DB A:71-2]. He was taxable in St. James District, Caswell County, in 1790 [NC:82]. Person County was formed from this part of Caswell County in 1791 and Thomas sold his land by Person County deed on 4 April 1795 [DB C:472]. He was probably identical to Thomas Mason who was taxable in Louisa County on himself and son Thomas in 1787 [PPTL 1782-1814]. He was the father of
4i. Thomas2, born say 1763.
ii. Lawrence, "son of Thomas Mason," married Rosanna Landers, 17 January 1794 Louisa County, Virginia bond, Thomas Mason, Jr., and James Kennedy witnesses. Lawrence was taxable Louisa County in 1801 [PPTL 1782-1814], taxable in Fredericksville Parish, Albemarle County, in 1802 [PPTL 1800-13, frame 121] and head of a Buckingham County household of 3 "other free" in 1810 [VA:796]. His daughter Nancy was named in the 16 March 1828 Amherst County will of Peter Hartless [WB 9:124].
iii. Sally, born say 1770, "daughter of Thomas Mason," married Zachariah Hill, 20 July 1788 Halifax County, Virginia bond, John Jones surety, 31 July marriage by Rev. James Watkins [Minister's Returns, 14].
iv. Jean, born say 1774, married Peter Hartless, 2 January 1792 Amherst County, Virginia bond with the consent of Thomas and Jane Mason. Peter's 16 March 1828 Amherst County will, proved 17 September 1835, mentioned his wife Jane, Nancy Mason (daughter of Larsons Mason, perhaps identical to Lawrence Mason), and Peter Mason [WB 9:124].
v. ?Jesse1, married Polly Ann Branham, 21 March 1796 Louisa County bond, Lawrence Mason, witness. Jesse was taxable in Fredericksville Parish, Albemarle County, from 1800 to 1813: a "Mulatto" listed in 1813 with 3 persons which included females over the age of sixteen [PPTL, 1800-1813, frames 33, 122, 166, 212, 302, 393, 440, 483, 526, 572], head of an Albemarle County household of 9 "other free" in 1810 [VA:203] and 5 "free colored" in 1820.
4.Thomas2 Mason, born say 1763, married Elizabeth Ailstock in Louisa County in April 1791 according to her application for a survivor's pension for his services in the Revolution. He was listed as a "Mulatto" shoemaker in a "List of free Negroes and Mulattoes" in Louisa County with his wife Elizabeth and children Charles, Susanna, Thomas, Jesse and William (no date but probably about 1801-3) [Abercrombie, Free Blacks of Louisa County, 20]. He purchased land in Louisa County on 10 August 1801 and executed a deed of trust on the land on 14 March 1807 (described as 74 acres in 1801 and 24 acres on both sides of Mare Branch when it was sold in 1812) [DB J:222; L:48; M:32]. He was listed as a "Free Negro" in Campbell County in 1813 with a woman over the age of sixteen, taxable on 2 males in 1814 [PPTL, 1785-1814, frames 892, 930]. His widow Elizabeth applied for a pension in Campbell County on 1 May 1854, stating that her husband was a "colored" man who died in October 1832. He was the father of
i. Charles.
ii. Susanna.
iii. Thomas3, born about 1797, about fifty-seven years old on 1 May 1854 when he made an affidavit to support his mother's application for a survivors pension for his father's Revolutionary War service.
iv. Jesse3.
v. William2.
Other members of the family in Virginia were
i. Jack and Will, born say 1680s, two of six Tuscarora Indians accused by five other Tuscarora Indians of murdering Jeremiah Pate of New Kent County on 14 October 1707. The other four accused were Tom Jumper, Charles, Stephen and George. Jack was exonerated when it was shown that he had spent the day of the murder at Colonel Hill's [McIlwaine, Journals of the Council, III:158, 167].
ii. Hatter Wood, born say 1740, a "Molatto" added to the list of tithables in Elizabeth City County on 6 November 1764 [Court Records 1760-9, 258].
iii. John, a "melatto" taxable in Campbell County in
iv. Chloe, born say 1778, registered as a free Negro in Northumberland County on 9 January 1809: bright mulatto about 24, 5 feet 8-3/4 inches high - having 5 children [Register, no.37]. She was a "free mulatto" head of a Northumberland County household of 7 "other free" in 1810 [VA:989].
v. James, head of an Essex County household of 4 "other free" in 1810 [VA:202].
vi. Rane, head of a Buckingham County household of 4 "other free" in 1810 [VA:786].
vii. Sally, born about 1801, registered in Augusta County on 16 June 1823: Formerly Sally Mason, wife of Fountain Maxwell, about twenty two years of age, a high mulatto, of slender and rather delicate stature, five feet one and a half inches high, and free born as attested by affidavit of Jno. Dowell [Augusta County Register of Free Negroes, nos. 26, 62 by http://valley.vcdh.Virginia.edu]http://valley.vcdh.Virginia.edu]. They recorded the certificates in Ross County, Ohio [Turpin, Register of Black, Mulatto, and Poor Persons, p.32].