William Mason was tried for burglary and felony, and found guilty at Armagh Assizes in April 1791. The Freeman’s Journal reported on 3 May 1791: “ARMAGH ASSIZES William Mason, for burglariously breaking open and entering the dwelling house of Samuel McBurney of Gloughhoge, and thereout taking several articles of his property — to be executed on Tuesday, 24th May instant." Apparently his sentence was commuted to seven years transportation.
He was transported to New South Wales on the Boddingtons which departed Ireland on 15 February, 1793 and arrived at Sydney on 7 August 1793. The convict indent recorded his age as 24.[1]
In the 1802 muster, he was now a free man and he was living on 30 acres he had purchased at Mulgrave Place, with 30 acres cleared, 4 acres cultivated, and 6 acres maize to be sown. He was not reliant on Government stores.
Around this time he started to live with Sarah Woolley (1768 - 1809) and they had two sons, William 1803 and Samuel 1806. Sarah had previously been married to John Ryan and had children John, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah Ryan. It is unknown what happened to her husband John Ryan, and she was listed in the 1800 and 1802 musters as a landholder in her own right.
William and Sarah eventually married on 20 April 1807 at St John's Church Parramatta.
In October 1809 William was granted 40 acres at Upper Nelson to be held in trust for John, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah Ryan ‘being orphan children’ (these were the children of Sarah Wooley and John Ryan). William was also granted 50 acres on the same basis for his own two sons.
According to the 1828 census, William was living in Pitt Town, New South Wales. He was aged 61, and had arrived on the Boddington (sic). and was a farmer. His two sons were also in the household.[2] Catherine Frazer, 38, (free by servitude, William Pitt, 1806), was listed in the 1828 census as his housekeeper.
Death: Died 21 December 1839 at Pitt Town, New South Wales, Australia.
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Parents: said to be James Mason and Bridget McCormuck, but this info is unsourced.
NSW Convict Indents 1788 - 1842 shows he was 24 in April 1791, which means DOB is approx 1767. Same source says birth place was Co Armagh, Ireland.