James Mason (abt. 1775 - 1815)

Born about 1775 in Burlington, New Jersey

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1815 at about age 40 in St. Clair, Illinois Territory

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Biography

There is very little information to be found for this James Mason. He was the son of Jacob Mason and Rachel Tewksbury, born around 1780 in Burlington County, New Jersey. Jacob Mason and his family left New Jersey in the mid 1780's and moved to Redstone in western Pennsylvania. It is believed that James followed his older brother when he and his family moved on to Ohio. There are census records of a James Mason living in Adams Township of Washington County, Ohio, that show a wife but no children. No marriage records could be found.

James was born between 1765 and 1785 per the 1810 St. Clair Co. Illinois census. ^[1] His birth year is approximated at 1775 given the approximate birth year of his oldest son, Bennett who was mentioned as underage in his father's 1815 will and who in 1817 signed a receipt for money left to him by his father placing Bennett's birth about 1795.^[2]

The earliest record of James and Jane/Jean Mason is 1808 in St. Clair Co. Illinois when they joined the Bethel Baptist church at Richland along with John Steel and his wife. Of significant note is that the Richland Baptist church adopted rules prohibiting slavery. ^[3]

In 1810, they are living in Grand Tower TWP, St. Clair Co. Illinois. John Steel Sr. and John Steel Jr. also appear on the same census page.

James Mason Jr. born 1801 consistently listed his birth place as Kentucky but it is unclear how early James Sr. actually arrived in Kentucky because His oldest son, Bennett listed his birth place as KY in 1850, NJ in 1860 and VA in 1870.

He is likely the same James Mason who purchased land in 1799 in Madison Co. KY and sold it in 1807. In 1799, a James Mason purchased a tract of land on Silver Creek in Madison Co. Kentucky. According to tax records he was not a slave holder. In October 1807, he sold 80 acres on Silver Creek. This is believed to be the same James Mason who relocated to St. Clair Co. Illinois and joined the Richland Baptist Church in April 1808 because of the timing of is land sale and the fact that he was not a slave holder which the church had prohibitions against.

Additional evidence is that James Mason, Bennett Million and John Woods each purchased federal land in St. Clair County, Illinois on the same day, Sep 19 1814. Their names appear on the 1800 tax list living on Silver Creek but are gone by 1810 as is a John Steel.

James Sr. passed away in 1815 naming his wife Jane along with 3 sons, Bennit, William and James. ^[4] The 1810 census indicated that they had 6 daughters and their names are presumed to be Nancy, Mary, Catherine, Jane, Phoebe and Elcy as they are listed in St. Clair Co. Illinois marriage records and James was the only Mason in St. Clair county at the time. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ 1810 St. Clair Co. Illinois census
2. ↑ James Mason Probate
3. ↑ Bethel Baptist Church Minutes 1806-1851, Exerpts from the Minutes 1851- 1852, Membership Lists 1809-1909, St. Clair County, Illinois, edited by D iane Walsh, 1993, St. Clair County Genealogical Society, Belleville, IL .
4. ↑ Copy of Will
5. ↑ Family research by Becky Mason Walker

• "New Jersey, Births, 1670-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2SZ-GYFQ : 8 April 2016), James Mason, 1780; citing , , New Jersey, United States, Division of Archives and Record Management, New Jersey Department of State, Trenton.; FHL microfilm 820,015.

• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGK-9GL : 19 August 2017), James Mason, Adams, Washington, Ohio, United States; citing 337, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 141; FHL microfilm 337,952.
• Paternal and Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on MyHeritage consisting of B Mason [Mason-4486] and P Mason descendants of Harry Mason [Mason-4501]; D Blanke descendant of Lyman Mason [Mason-4503]; K Johnson descendant of James Mason & Lydia Buzby thru daughter Mary; and C Williams descendant of Jacob Mason & Rachel Tweksbury thru son William. All five share a 20.3 cMs segment on chromosome 12. In addition, on Ancestry there is an ICW group between J Deckard descendant of James Harrison Mason & Lucinda Mills thru son Samuel, M Philyaw descendant of Bennett Mason & Mary Wesner thru son Alfred, N Sutton (ancestry unknown but ICW Lyman Mason, Alexander Harrison Mason, James Harrison Mason, Bennett Mason descendants) and mherrold descendant of Jacob & Rachel Tewksbury thru son William. These 4 are mherrold's only Ancestry ICW relatives with B Mason [Mason-4486]