Francis Mason (abt. 1584 - bef. 1648)

Born about 1584 in London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Dickman) Mason — married 17 Aug 1606 in England

Husband of Alice (Ganey) Mason — married 1624 in Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died before 7 Nov 1648 before about age 64 in Elizabeth City, Virginia Colony

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Biography

Francis Mason was a Jamestown colonist.

Francis Mason is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

Birth

Francis Mason was born about 1584 in England.^{[1] [2][3]}

First marriage and children born in England

Francis and Mary Dackman/Dickman were married at St Dunstan in West, London, England^[4] on 17 Aug 1606.^[5][6]

The couple are thought to have had at least three children born in England:

1. Robert, bp. 12 Jul 1607^[7]
2. Francis, bp. 26 Dec 1608^[8]
3. Ann accompanied Francis and Mary when they emigrated in 1613.^[2][9]

Immigration to Jamestown in 1613

Lt. Francis Mason came to Jamestown, along with Mary and Ann, in 1613, aboard the ship John and Francis. ^{[10][11] [2]}

They were listed in the census of Elizabeth City, Norfolk County, Virginia (near the mouth of the James river, about 10 miles downstream from Jamestown) in 1623/4 ^[2]

It is unknown if daughter Ann ever married. Francis, their son who was born in Virginia, is believed by some to have died young.^[12] Others, however, suggest that he was "probably ancestor of the Surry Masons"^[13][14]

Francis's 1st wife Mary died after they were recorded on the Census of 1624/5 and before the second muster of 7 Feb 1624/25 ^[2]

Second marriage and children

In the muster of 7 Feb 1624/25 it records that Francis Mason's 2nd wife was then named Alice. Some believe that her maiden surname was Ganey.

In this second muster of inhabitance, it includes Francis Mason aged 40, Alice Mason aged 26 and Francis Mason, Jr. born in Virginia and 5 servants. ^{[2] [12]}

Francis and Alice Mason had at least two children:

• Lemuel, He married Anne Sewell^{[15][2] [12][16]}
• Elizabeth. Elizabeth married a James Theleball and died in 1709. ^[12]

Records for Francis in Virginia

He is listed as a neighbor of Thomas Willowbye on "hither" creek in 19 Nov 1635. ^[10]

He is listed as a neighbor of William Julian on the Elizabeth River (a tributary near the mouth of the James River) in 4 Jul 1636 ^[10]

He was a member of the first Court held for Lower Norfolk (at the mouth of the James River -- about 15 miles downstream from Jamestown) in 15 May 1637. ^[2]

He is mentioned the Court records on 05 Jul 1642 ^[17][18]

Lieut. Francis Mason heth made it appeare unto this Court that there is due unto him 1250 acres of land forbot ye transportation of these whose names are underwritten which land is allreadie seated: Francis Mason, Mary his wife, Ann his daughter, Alice Gany [his 2nd wife?], Margerie Ganey, Tho. Warters (Walters?), Merra Millow (Willow?), Marke Layneere (Lineer?), Anthony Ribbone, John Johnson, Marke Provoose, John Kingsberrie, Nicholas Knowls, James Rabbish, Eilias Harris, Rich. Martin, John Midleton, Richard Morris, Wodham Tuck, Alice Jenkins, Henry Jackson, John Shaw, Edward Wheeler, John Aris, Robert Hill.

His plantation is recorded by a patent issued Aug. 31, 1642 to Lieut. Francis (1) Mason for 1,250 acres at "Hoggpen Point," near land of Capt. Thomas Willoughby. ^[2][10][19]

On 29 Sep 1643 he patented 200 acres in Lower New Norfolk County at Lynnhaven, which was repatented 22 March 1645/6. ^[10]

He was a Churchwarden and a member of the vestry of Elizabeth River Parish, 10 Aug. 1648^[2]

He qualified as sheriff of Lower Norfolk County in 5 Mar 1646^[20][2] but he resigned this office before 15 Apr 1648.

He was a commissioner of the county court from its commencement until 15 Aug 1648. [needs citation]

Death

He died intestate before 7 Nov. 1648 in Elizabeth City County^{[2] [21]}

His wife Alice, and son, Lemuel, administered the estate In 1648 when Francis died. [needs citation]

Francis’s is mentioned in 1648. His widow Alice Mason is recorded in the Lower Norfolk County Court Records.^{[22] [23]} Recorded on 15 Jan 1651.

It is concluded & fully agreed upon this Seventh day of November 1648 Between Alice Mason relict of Mr. Francis Mason, deceased & Mr. Lemuel Mason of one part and Mr. James Thelaball of the other part as followeth:

1. That the same Lemuel Mason shall upon demand give & assure unto the said Mr. Thelaball the Lands called the "Mayne" right against Hogg Island being about Two hundred acres, which the one halfe of the said Hogg Island, which Hogg Island is to be divided by fower [4] men to be indifferently chosen, or by the said Lemuel and James, one of them to make the division & thither, and the other to choose as they shall best agree.
2. Alice & Lemuel to give James "two thousand foote of sawen planke"
3. Alice & Lemuel to give James "as much glasse and leade, as to make fower [4] such glasse windows as are in the now dwelling house wherein they remayne".
4. That the said Alice and Lemuel shall upon demand give and Deliver unto the said James Six silver spoones
5. That upon the performance of the premises both the said Alice & Lemuel, & James Thelaball shall sign and seal & delivered full discharge each to other [torn] concerning all things whatsoever:

In Witness whereof all ties to these presents have hereunto put their hands this day & year first Written John Sibsey, Alice Mason, Tho. Lambert, Math. Phillippes, Lemuel Mason, Rich. Conquest, James Thelaball.

There is no mention of William Stafford, Ann Mason or Francis Mason.

Francis is listed as a qualifying ancestor of the Jamestowne Society.^[24]

Sources

1. ↑ Virginia magazine of history and biography. Volume 4. 1897. Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents. Note 1 of pages 83 to 85 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-93PV-XKMM?i=342&cat=16216) "Lieutenant Francis Mason, of Elizabeth City and Lower Norfolk counties, was born 1584; came to Virginia in 1613, and died in 1647. There is a deposition by Frances Mason in January, 1637, in which he states his age to be about forty-two years, and another in 1641, when he states he is aged forty-six."
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5: Families G-P Volume II. (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004); digital image: (https://library.genealogical.com/epubs/9780806363028/OEBPS/Text/appv_2012_0002_0_00043.html#ch_43)
3. ↑ For a snippet of page 569 of the previous reference (Dorman), see (https://books.google.com/books?id=tcM40zgdAZgC&pg=PA501&lpg=PA501&dq=Adventurers+of+Purse+and+Person&source=bl&ots=xPttmRxq7f&sig=ACfU3U1e-Bg-Dbv9r1CMnCWxF4OlIEqBFA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7mLnuqa6FAxUsAzQIHUU2AVA4FBDoAXoECAUQAw#v=onepage&q=Mason&f=false)
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812. Original data: Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1812. London, England: London Metropolitan Archives. (https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=LMAearlyparish&h=6428097)
5. ↑ "England, Middlesex Parish Registers, 1539-1988", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DX3H-5DT2 : Sun Mar 10 19:35:35 UTC 2024), Entry for Franncys Masson and Marye Dickman, 17 Aug 1606.
6. ↑ Boyd's Inhabitants Of London & Family Units 1200-1946 (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBOR%2FBIL%2FSOG66%2F0149&parentid=GBPRS%2FBIL%2F00360082) "Francis Mason married 1606 Aug 17 at S. Katherine Tower; Wife Mary Dickman; Children Robert bap. 1607 Jul 12, Francis 1608 Dec 26"
7. ↑ Boyd's Inhabitants Of London & Family Units 1200-1946 (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBOR%2FBIL%2FSOG66%2F0149&parentid=GBPRS%2FBIL%2F00360082) "Francis Mason married 1606 Aug 17 at S. Katherine Tower; Wife Mary Dickman; Children Robert bap. 1607 Jul 12, Francis 1608 Dec 26"
8. ↑ Boyd's Inhabitants Of London & Family Units 1200-1946 (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBOR%2FBIL%2FSOG66%2F0149&parentid=GBPRS%2FBIL%2F00360082) "Francis Mason married 1606 Aug 17 at S. Katherine Tower; Wife Mary Dickman; Children Robert bap. 1607 Jul 12, Francis 1608 Dec 26"
9. ↑ Torrance and Allied Families. By Robert E. Torrence. 1938. Page 345. (https://archive.org/details/torrencealliedfa00torr/page/n791/mode/2up)
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} Nell Marion Nugent, Cavaliers and pioneers; abstracts of Virginia land patents and grants, 1623-1800 Vol 1 Volume I. Pages XXXII, 34, 49, 134, 151, 166. (Richmond, VA: Press of the Dietz Printing Co., 1934); digital image: (https://archive.org/details/cavalierspioneer00nuge/page/n47/mode/2up?q=mason) For this reference, see page XXXII (https://archive.org/details/cavalierspioneer00nuge/page/n47/mode/2up)
11. ↑ Passenger List of the John and Francis 1613 Research and compilation by Anne Stevens, packrat-pro.com.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3} The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) See: Volume 47, page 68 of 595
13. ↑ Torrance and Allied Families. By Robert E. Torrence. 1938. Page 336. Citing William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 4, pp. 172-3; Virginia Magazine of History, vol. 20, pp. 41-42.(https://archive.org/details/torrencealliedfa00torr/page/n793/mode/2up) "Francis Mason, Jr.,born in Virginia; name docs not appear in Norfolk County records after 1642; is believed to have gone to Surry County, where he and his half-brother James Mason probably were the ancestors of the Surry branch."
14. ↑ William and Mary College quarterly historical papers v.4 1895-96. LETTERS EXTRACTED FROM THE COUNTY RECORD Books. Page 172. Footnote 2. (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x000236556&seq=240) "Lemuel Mason was son of Lieutenant Francis Mason, who came to Virginia in 1613, with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Anne. He married, sec. Alice, and was sheriff and justice of Norfolk county. He had by his first wife Francis (probably ancestor of the Surry Masons), and Lemuel by his second. He died about 1648. Lemuel Mason, born after 1625, was justice, sheriff, member of the House of Burgesses, colonel of the militia, etc. His will was proved in 1702. See Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. II., p. 386. 1"
15. ↑ William and Mary College quarterly historical papers v.4 1895-96. LETTERS EXTRACTED FROM THE COUNTY RECORD Books. Page 173. Footnote 3. (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x000236556&seq=241) "Henry Seawell the elder, merchant, was burgess for Elizabeth city in 1632, and was elected burgess for Norfolk county in 1639. He died about 1644, and a settlement of his estate was held at an orphan's court held Feb. 25, 1649, as follows: 'having mett Concerning the Estate of Hen: Seawell deceased, ... Mr Lemuel Mason who hath Intermarried with Anne the dauther of the said seawell It was agreed as follows: ... A deposition taken ... August 16, 1672, mentions Henry Seawell, the younger, as late deceased, and that his sister and heir, Anne, now the wife of Colonel Lemuel Mason was born about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years since.' Seawell's Point,” at the mouth of the Elizabeth River, was named for Henry Seawell, the elder ..."
16. ↑ Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5: Families G-P Volume II. For a snippet of page 570, see (https://books.google.com/books?id=tcM40zgdAZgC&pg=PA501&lpg=PA501&dq=Adventurers+of+Purse+and+Person&source=bl&ots=xPttmRxq7f&sig=ACfU3U1e-Bg-Dbv9r1CMnCWxF4OlIEqBFA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7mLnuqa6FAxUsAzQIHUU2AVA4FBDoAXoECAUQAw#v=snippet&q=Mason&f=false)
17. ↑ Alice Granbery Walter Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Court Records. Book "A" 1637-1646 & Book "B" 1646-1651/2, Page 99. Clearfield Publishing Co., Maryland, 2002 (1994) ISBN:0-8063-4560-8
18. ↑ For this specific reference, also see page 134 of Cavaliers. (https://archive.org/details/cavalierspioneer00nuge/page/134/mode/2up)
19. ↑ For this specific reference, see page 134 of Cavaliers. (https://archive.org/details/cavalierspioneer00nuge/page/134/mode/2up)
20. ↑ Virginia magazine of history and biography. January 1912. Volume 20. Footnote 11 of pages 41 and 42. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-Q3PV-TCJ3?i=650&cat=16216) "He was sheriff of Lower Norfolk County 1646 and J.P. from the formation of the County to "August 15, 1648.
21. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #77076088
22. ↑ Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. III, Lower Norfolk County Records, Wills and Deeds C, December 15th 1651-plus. Page 422. Lower Norfolk County, 1651-1654, pg. 422
23. ↑ John A. Brayton, Transcription of Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Records Record Book C 1651-1656 Volume Two, Page 1. (Memphis, TN: Clearfield Publishing Co., for John A. Brayton, 2010)
24. ↑ Jamestowne Society: Mason, Francis - A5302; born ca. 1595, died 1638, Lower Norfolk Co. (Muster of 1624/5). (accessed 25 Sep 2021)

See Also

• U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010), Record for Francis Mason Arrival Year: 1613 Arrival Place: Virginia Source Publication Code: 1262 Primary Immigrant: Mason, Francis.
• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (, 2004), Ancestry.com, Source number: 160.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: WRH. Record for Alice Ganey Birth Year: 1598 Spouse Name: Lt Frances Mason Spouse Birth Year: 1584.
• U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), Find A Grave Memorial# 126585963. Record for Alice Mason Birth Date: 1596 Birth Place: Surrey, England Death Date: 1655 Death Place: Virginia, USA Spouse: Francis Mason Children: Col Lemuel Mason.
• Wills and Administrations of Elizabeth City County, Virginia 1688-1800. Record for Francis Mason at Muster of Inhabitants in Virginia 1624/25 - pg. 119.
• The Majors and Their Marriages in Google Books
• Cocke Family of Virginia ‘Virginia Magazine of History and Biography’ 1897 Vol V p 182 [1]
• Waters, Henry Fitz-Gilbert ”Genealogical Gleanings in England” : New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston 1901 Vol I p 692 [2]
• du Bellet, Pecquet “Some Prominent Virginia Families” : J P Bell Company; Lynchburg, Virginia 1907 Vol II p 615 [3]

Acknowledgments

• Tracey Miller for created WikiTree profile Mason-3967 through the import of Harry Miller.ged on Oct 31, 2013.
• Rodney Wood created WikiTree profile Mason-3637 through the import of RJWood_FTDNA_181639-WilliamWood-b1780BotetourtVA_2011-02-23.ged on Jul 24, 2013. It was merged with Mason-1718 on Jan 16, 2014.
• Vonda Stafford created Mason-1718 on Aug 23, 2011.
• Rose Edwards