Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-02-14
THE LATE JUDGE MASON

The following account of the ances.
try of the late distinguished Judge
George Mason, of Texas, is taken from
the Galveston Ne,cs:
Judge George Mason was decepd
ant of an illustrious Virginia family
The first of the family who came TO
North America was Colonel GEORGE
Mason, a member of the English parIia.
ment in the reign of Charles /. He
opposed the arbitrary policy of the
King. but resisted extreme measure.
against him. he was an officer in the
army of Charles II. and after his defeat
in Worcester in 1851 escaped to Viz.
ginia, losing all his possessions in Eng.
gland. His great grandson, of the same
name, about 1926, married Alice Thorn.
son. a favorite niece of Sir William
Temple, and had by her two sons and a
daughter.
George, eldest son Of George Mason
and Annie Thomson, born at Dogs
Neck, in Stafford, now in Fairfax
county, Virginia, in 1926, died in the
autumn of 1892. In 1869 he drew m
the transportation resolutions which
were presented by Washington and
adopted by the assembly of Virginia. In
ITS the convention of Virginia made
him member of the committee of safe
ty, charged with the executive gov.
eminent of the colony. In 1776 he
drafted the declaration of rights and
the constitution of Virginia, which were
adopted by unanimous vote He
brought forward and carried through.
in conjunction with Jefferson, meas.
ure for the repeal of the old disabling
acts, and for legalizing all modes OF
worship, releasing dissenters from par.
ish votes. In 1777 he was elected
member of the continental congress.
and ten years later he was a leading
member of the federal convention to
frame the constitution of the United
States, in which he took decided
grounds against all measures tending
to the perpetuation ofslavery. He was
dissatisfied with the instrument when
completed and declined to sign it. de.
claring his apprehensions that it would
result in a monarchy or tyranncsl
aristocracy. Returning to Virginia, he
was chosen member OF the convention
called to ratify or reject til,
federal constitution, and in coDjunc.
ton with Patrick Henry he led
the opposition to the constitution in
that body, insisting upon about twenty
alterations, several of which were after.
ward adopted by Congress and the
States. He was elected the first United
States Senator from Virginia under the
constitution, but declined to accept the
Office. HE statue stands with those Of
jefferson, Henry and other illuslriOus
Virginians, at the base OF Crawiords
colossal statue of Washington, in front
of the capitol at Richmond.
James Murray Mason, a grandson Of
George Mason and father Of Judge
George Mason, deceased, of Galveston,
was born on Aualosan island, opposite
Washington, on November 3, lIH,
and died near Alexandra, Va, on
April IS, 1871. He studied law and in
1920 commenced practice in Man
chester. Va. In 1926 he was elected 10
the Virginia House of DELEGATES, ard
was twice reelected. In 1857 he T&
chosen a member Of the lover
house of Congress. He declined
reelection and returned to the pTae
tice of his profession. In ISL he
was appointed to the United State;
Senate to fill a vacancy, and in lSisard
in 1855 was reelected. He took
prominent part in the Senate, was ioF
several years chairman Of the comml.
tee on foreign relations and dratiedi5e
fugitive slave law of 1850. He eaElF
took part in the secession movement.
and in July, 1861, was expelled iron
the Senate. He was appointed Con
federate commissioner to England ati
France, and on November S, 1851, VIII
his colleague, John Slidell, was cap
tured in the Bahama channel, on bosfa
the British mail steamer Trent by Cop
tain Wilkes. He was confined in Fox -
Warren, Boston harbor, till January
1862, when he was given up to Il;
British government. During the Il
mainder of the war he resided MANI
in Paris, as representative Of the Cc'
federacy. After its close he went u
Canada. where he remained tho
years. and then returned to Virginia