Person:John Mason (64)

John William Mason was baptised on 7th July 1805 at Barnack in Northamptonshire, son of Elizabeth Mason, formerly Gamble, and her husband William Mason, a cottager.

On 25th November 1830, aged 25, John married Mary Wright, who was from Alwalton in Huntingdonshire, about nine miles south-east of Barnack. They married at Alwalton but shortly afterwards moved to Stamford in Lincolnshire, the neighbouring town to John's native Barnack. At Stamford they had a daughter in 1831 and a son in 1835, both of whom were baptised at a Wesleyan Methodist chapel there.

Some time between 1835 and 1838 they left Stamford and moved over 60 miles further north to Tealby, where they had another daughter. They did not stay long in Tealby, and by 1840 had moved another 16 miles north again to the area around the town of Brigg, where they had a further three sons between 1840 and about 1845, and appear in the 1841 census. John worked variously as a joiner, carpenter, builder, building surveyor and architect's clerk. Back in Barnack, John's mother died in 1842 and his father died in 1850.

By the time of the 1851 census John and Mary had moved back south to Huntingdonshire, living on Church Street in Woodston, the neighbouring parish to Mary's native Alwalton. However, a bigger move was ahead. A couple of months later the family emigrated to America, sailing from Liverpool on the 'Augustus' to Philadelphia.

By 1870 they had settled at Detroit in Michigan, with Mary and John appearing there in the census with three of their adult children. Mary appears to have died some time between 1870 and 1880, as John was described as a widower in the 1880 census.

John died on 14th April 1884, aged about 79.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Barnack (Northamptonshire). Parish registers, 1695–1974. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire Record Office).

   1805 / John Son of William & Elizabeth Mason - July 7th

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 650; Book 9; Folio 19; Page 31, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Calvin Chapel Yard, Glandford Briggs [sic], Wrawby, Lincolnshire
   John Mason, male, 35 [1801-6], Builder, not born in county
   Mary Mason, female, 40 [1796-1801], not born in county
   Elizabeth Mason, female, 9 [1831/2], born in county
   W[illia]m Mason, male, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   Mary Mason, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Josiah Mason, male, 1 [1839/40], born in county
   Jacob Wright, male, 15 [1821-6], Joiner, not born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1747; Folio 284; Page 9, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Church Street, Woodstone, Huntingdonshire
   John W. Mason, head, married, male, 45 [1805/6], Building Surveyor, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Mary Mason, wife, married, female, 51 [1799/1800], b. Alwalton, Huntingdonshire
   Elizabeth Mason, daughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1831/2], b. Stamford, Lincolnshire
   William Mason, son, unmarried, male, 16 [1834/5], Joiner' Ap[prentice], b. Stamford, Lincolnshire
   Mary Mason, daughter, female, 12 [1838/9], Scholar, b. Tealby, Lincolnshire
   Josiah Mason, son, male, 10 [1840/1], Scholar, b. Scawby, Lincolnshire
   Edward Mason, son, male, 8 [1842/3], Scholar, b. Scawby, Lincolnshire
   Thomas Mason, son, male, 5 [1845/6], Scholar, b. Scawby, Lincolnshire

4.   Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1882.

   Manifest of Passengers: Ship Augustus, 28 May 1851
   Bound from Liverpool to Philadelphia
   John W[illia]m Mason, 46 [1804/5], male, Joiner, b. England
   Mary Mason, 51 [1799/1800], female, b. England
   Elizabeth Mason, 19 [1831/2], female, b. England
   W[illia]m Mason, 16 [1834/5], male, Laborer, b. England
   Mary Mason, 12 [1838/9], female, Laborer, b. England
   Josias Mason, 10 [1840/1], male, Laborer, b. England
   Edward Mason, 8 [1842/3], male, Laborer, b. England
   Thomas Mason, 5 [1845/6], male, Laborer, b. England
   Jacob Wright, 29 [1821/2], male, Joiner, b. England
   Matilda Wright, 29 [1821/2], male [sic], b. England
   Joseph Wright, 3 [1847/8], male, b. England
   Charles Wright, 2 [1848/9], male, b. England

5. ↑ United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
   Ward 05, 1 Jun 1870.

   Address: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
   Mason, John W. / 67 [1802/3] / Carpenter / b. England
   Mason, Mary / 71 [1798/9] / Keeping House / b. England
   Mason, W[illia]m / 36 [1833/4] / Carpenter / b. England
   Mason, Mary / 30 [1839/40] / Keeping House / b. England
   Mason, Thomas / 24 [1845/6] / Book Keeper / b. England

6. ↑ United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9)
   1 Jun 1880.

   Address: 39 McLean Street, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
   Mason, John W. / 75 [1804/5] / widower / Carpenter / b. England
   Mason, Mary / 38 [1841/2] / single / Keeping House / b. England
   Mason, Lucy E. / 10 [1869/70] / at School / b. Canada, parents born England

7. ↑ Michigan Deaths, 1800-1995.

   No. 679
   Date of death: April 14 1884
   Name: John W. Mason
   Martial status: widower
   Age: 79y 1m 4d [implying born 10 Mar 1805?]
   Place of death: Detroit
   Cause: Consumption
   Place of birth: England
   Parents: John Mason & Elizabeth Mason of England

   Although the death record gives John's father's name as John rather than William it is considered this is likely to be an error. Certainly the family who emigrated in 1851 near enough exactly matches the family from the 1851 census, and there does not appear to have been another John Mason baptism at Barnack around 1805.