Jonathan Mason (Massachusetts politician)
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Jonathan Mason (September 12, 1756November 1, 1831) was a
Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...
United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...
and Representative from
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
during the early years of the
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. Mason was born in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
in the
Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of ...
. He attended
Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...
the College of New Jersey (now
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
), graduating in 1774. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar in 1779. On April 13, 1779, Mason married Susannah Powell (1761–1836). They had seven children—five daughters and two sons: *Miriam Clarke (1790–1870); married David Sears. *Susan Powell (d.1841); married
John Collins Warren John Collins Warren (August 1, 1778 – May 4, 1856) was an American surgeon. In 1846 he gave permission to William T.G. Morton to provide ether anesthesia while Warren performed a minor surgical procedure. News of this first public demonstrati ...
on November 17, 1803. *Anna Powell (d.1861); married Patrick Grant. *Mary Bromfield; *Elizabeth (1784–1826); married Samuel Dunn Parker on December 12, 1807 in Boston, MA. *Jonathan (1795–1884); married Isabella Cowpland Weyman. *William Powell (1791–1867); married Hannah Rogers and had Elizabeth Rogers Mason Cabot. In 1780, Mason delivered the annual address marking the Boston Massacre. He was a Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
from 1786 to 1796. Starting in 1795, Mason was a partner in the Mount Vernon Proprietors, a developer of real estate in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. Around 1800 he built a mansion for himself on Mt. Vernon Street, in which he lived through the end of his life. Around 1804 he hired architect Charles Bulfinch to design 4 houses, also on Mt. Vernon Street, for each of his daughters; the 4 houses still stand today. Mason was also a member of the South Boston Association, which developed real estate in Dorchester. From 1797 to 1798, he served with the Massachusetts Governor's Council and was elected for the following two years, and was in the
Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...
from 1799 to 1800. Following the resignation of Senator Benjamin Goodhue, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served from November 14, 1800 to March 3, 1803. He then resumed his law practice and served again in the Massachusetts Senate from 1803 to 1804 and the Massachusetts House from 1805 to 1808. His portrait was painted by
Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Charles Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washi ...
in 1805. He served again in the US House of Representatives from March 4, 1817, to May 15, 1820, whereupon he resigned to pursue his law practice. He died in Boston, at age 75. He is interred in
Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery is the first rural, or garden, cemetery in the United States, located on the line between Cambridge and Watertown in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, west of Boston. It is the burial site of many prominent Boston Brah ...
in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
.


References


Further reading

*Obituary. Columbian Centinel, November 6, 1831. *Mary Caroline Crawford. Famous families of Massachusetts. 1930. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Jonathan 1756 births 1831 deaths Boston Latin School alumni Princeton University alumni Massachusetts state senators Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives United States senators from Massachusetts Federalist Party United States senators Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts People from colonial Boston