Born into the old and famous Mason family of Virginia, "John T." (as he styled himself) moved his family to Kentucky when he was about 25 years old. While he made many important acquaintances during his 18 years in the Bluegrass State - including Henry Clay, James Monroe, & Andrew Jackson - he did not fair well in business or financially.
In 1830, John T. was appointed to serve as Secretary of the Michigan Territory and superintendent of Indian affairs by President Andrew Jackson, appointments he held until 1831, when President Jackson sent Mason on a mission to Mexico. To fill the post as Secretary of the Michigan Territory, Jackson appointed John T. Mason's 19 year old son, Stevens Thomson Mason, who later became Michigan's first official state governor.
Also in 1830, Mason became a scripholder for the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company in New York, and was made a confidential land agent for the company in 1831. While in Mexico City on the land company's behalf, Mason discovered an 1830 law that prevented the transfer of Mexican land to foreign companies; in 1833, Mason was able to secure a repeal of the law's stipulation that forbade colonization in Mexico from the United States. Upon this accomplishment, Mason resigned from the land company to promote his personal Texas landholdings and expanding them by purchasing 300 leagues from the Mexican government and 100 leagues from individual landholders. Mason's fortunes in this venture again turned when his land grants were cancelled by the Provisional government of Texas in 1834.
In April of 1836, Mason was made commandant of the Nacogdoches District by the Committee of Vigilance and Safety. He resigned after only 12 days, but remained in Nacogdoches for most of the duration of the Texas Revolution (which he supported financially).
After the Texas Revolution, Mason moved to New York, but returned to Texas multiple times during the 1840s. He traveled to Texas for the last time in 1849, and as he was preparing to return east he died of cholera on April 17, 1850, at Tremont House in Galveston. The location of his grave has never been found in the record of history.
John Thomson Mason was married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Baker Moir on February 9, 1809 at Williamsburg, VA. She died on November 24, 1839 in New York. Together they had 11 known children, but only the following four lived to adulthood:
- Stevens Thomson Mason (1811-1843) [1st Governor of Michigan]
- Emily Virginia Mason (1815-1909)
- Catherine Armistead Mason (1818-1884)
- Laura Ann Thomson Mason (1821-1911)
After the death of his first wife, he remarried to Frances Magruder in Baltimore, Maryland on June 29, 1845.
In 1830, John T. was appointed to serve as Secretary of the Michigan Territory and superintendent of Indian affairs by President Andrew Jackson, appointments he held until 1831, when President Jackson sent Mason on a mission to Mexico. To fill the post as Secretary of the Michigan Territory, Jackson appointed John T. Mason's 19 year old son, Stevens Thomson Mason, who later became Michigan's first official state governor.
Also in 1830, Mason became a scripholder for the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company in New York, and was made a confidential land agent for the company in 1831. While in Mexico City on the land company's behalf, Mason discovered an 1830 law that prevented the transfer of Mexican land to foreign companies; in 1833, Mason was able to secure a repeal of the law's stipulation that forbade colonization in Mexico from the United States. Upon this accomplishment, Mason resigned from the land company to promote his personal Texas landholdings and expanding them by purchasing 300 leagues from the Mexican government and 100 leagues from individual landholders. Mason's fortunes in this venture again turned when his land grants were cancelled by the Provisional government of Texas in 1834.
In April of 1836, Mason was made commandant of the Nacogdoches District by the Committee of Vigilance and Safety. He resigned after only 12 days, but remained in Nacogdoches for most of the duration of the Texas Revolution (which he supported financially).
After the Texas Revolution, Mason moved to New York, but returned to Texas multiple times during the 1840s. He traveled to Texas for the last time in 1849, and as he was preparing to return east he died of cholera on April 17, 1850, at Tremont House in Galveston. The location of his grave has never been found in the record of history.
John Thomson Mason was married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Baker Moir on February 9, 1809 at Williamsburg, VA. She died on November 24, 1839 in New York. Together they had 11 known children, but only the following four lived to adulthood:
- Stevens Thomson Mason (1811-1843) [1st Governor of Michigan]
- Emily Virginia Mason (1815-1909)
- Catherine Armistead Mason (1818-1884)
- Laura Ann Thomson Mason (1821-1911)
After the death of his first wife, he remarried to Frances Magruder in Baltimore, Maryland on June 29, 1845.
Born into the old and famous Mason family of Virginia, "John T." (as he styled himself) moved his family to Kentucky when he was about 25 years old. While he made many important acquaintances during his 18 years in the Bluegrass State - including Henry Clay, James Monroe, & Andrew Jackson - he did not fair well in business or financially.
In 1830, John T. was appointed to serve as Secretary of the Michigan Territory and superintendent of Indian affairs by President Andrew Jackson, appointments he held until 1831, when President Jackson sent Mason on a mission to Mexico. To fill the post as Secretary of the Michigan Territory, Jackson appointed John T. Mason's 19 year old son, Stevens Thomson Mason, who later became Michigan's first official state governor.
Also in 1830, Mason became a scripholder for the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company in New York, and was made a confidential land agent for the company in 1831. While in Mexico City on the land company's behalf, Mason discovered an 1830 law that prevented the transfer of Mexican land to foreign companies; in 1833, Mason was able to secure a repeal of the law's stipulation that forbade colonization in Mexico from the United States. Upon this accomplishment, Mason resigned from the land company to promote his personal Texas landholdings and expanding them by purchasing 300 leagues from the Mexican government and 100 leagues from individual landholders. Mason's fortunes in this venture again turned when his land grants were cancelled by the Provisional government of Texas in 1834.
In April of 1836, Mason was made commandant of the Nacogdoches District by the Committee of Vigilance and Safety. He resigned after only 12 days, but remained in Nacogdoches for most of the duration of the Texas Revolution (which he supported financially).
After the Texas Revolution, Mason moved to New York, but returned to Texas multiple times during the 1840s. He traveled to Texas for the last time in 1849, and as he was preparing to return east he died of cholera on April 17, 1850, at Tremont House in Galveston. The location of his grave has never been found in the record of history.
John Thomson Mason was married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Baker Moir on February 9, 1809 at Williamsburg, VA. She died on November 24, 1839 in New York. Together they had 11 known children, but only the following four lived to adulthood:
- Stevens Thomson Mason (1811-1843) [1st Governor of Michigan]
- Emily Virginia Mason (1815-1909)
- Catherine Armistead Mason (1818-1884)
- Laura Ann Thomson Mason (1821-1911)
After the death of his first wife, he remarried to Frances Magruder in Baltimore, Maryland on June 29, 1845.
In 1830, John T. was appointed to serve as Secretary of the Michigan Territory and superintendent of Indian affairs by President Andrew Jackson, appointments he held until 1831, when President Jackson sent Mason on a mission to Mexico. To fill the post as Secretary of the Michigan Territory, Jackson appointed John T. Mason's 19 year old son, Stevens Thomson Mason, who later became Michigan's first official state governor.
Also in 1830, Mason became a scripholder for the Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company in New York, and was made a confidential land agent for the company in 1831. While in Mexico City on the land company's behalf, Mason discovered an 1830 law that prevented the transfer of Mexican land to foreign companies; in 1833, Mason was able to secure a repeal of the law's stipulation that forbade colonization in Mexico from the United States. Upon this accomplishment, Mason resigned from the land company to promote his personal Texas landholdings and expanding them by purchasing 300 leagues from the Mexican government and 100 leagues from individual landholders. Mason's fortunes in this venture again turned when his land grants were cancelled by the Provisional government of Texas in 1834.
In April of 1836, Mason was made commandant of the Nacogdoches District by the Committee of Vigilance and Safety. He resigned after only 12 days, but remained in Nacogdoches for most of the duration of the Texas Revolution (which he supported financially).
After the Texas Revolution, Mason moved to New York, but returned to Texas multiple times during the 1840s. He traveled to Texas for the last time in 1849, and as he was preparing to return east he died of cholera on April 17, 1850, at Tremont House in Galveston. The location of his grave has never been found in the record of history.
John Thomson Mason was married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Baker Moir on February 9, 1809 at Williamsburg, VA. She died on November 24, 1839 in New York. Together they had 11 known children, but only the following four lived to adulthood:
- Stevens Thomson Mason (1811-1843) [1st Governor of Michigan]
- Emily Virginia Mason (1815-1909)
- Catherine Armistead Mason (1818-1884)
- Laura Ann Thomson Mason (1821-1911)
After the death of his first wife, he remarried to Frances Magruder in Baltimore, Maryland on June 29, 1845.
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Siblings
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