George Mason II
George Mason II (1660–1716)[1][2][3] was an early American planter and statesman. Mason was the grandfather of George Mason IV, a Founding Father of the United States.[1]
George Mason II | |
|---|---|
| Born | George Mason 1660 |
| Died | 1716 (aged 55–56) |
| Resting place | Accokeek, Stafford County, Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | House of Burgesses member, Stafford County sheriff, Stafford County county lieutenant, justice of the peace, Stafford County militia colonel, planter, businessperson |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Fowke Elizabeth Waugh Sarah Taliaferro |
| Children | 12, including George Mason III |
| Parent(s) | George Mason I Mary French |
| Relatives | grandfather of George Mason IV |
Early life
Mason was born in 1660 at Accokeek plantation in Stafford County, Virginia.[1][3] He was the only son of George Mason I and his first wife Mary French.[1][3] He was the first of Virginia's Mason family to be born in British America.
Political career
Like his father, Mason served as a colonel in the Stafford County militia and represented Stafford in the House of Burgesses.[2] He also served as the county's sheriff and justice of the peace between 1699 and 1700.[2][4] Mason also received funding from the county to build what was probably Stafford's first jail in 1690.[2] Also between 1699 and 1700, Mason was county lieutenant of Stafford County, under General Nicholson, and was engaged in the defense of the Potomac region against Native Americans.[4]
Business ventures
In 1691, the town of Marlborough was laid out on the same neck of land in the Potomac River that included Accokeek plantation.[2] Mason was granted multiple lots in Marlborough and may have built a tavern there.[2]
Mason sold Accokeek after his father's death and relocated to a plantation on Chopawamsic Creek which he named Chopawamsic.[2] At Chopawamsic, Mason planted an orchard, grew tobacco, and raised sheep and cattle.[2]
Marriage and children
Mason married his cousin Mary Fowke, daughter of Gerard Fowke and Ann Thorogood, in 1688.[1][3] The couple had the following children:[1]
- Ann Fowke Mason Fitzhugh Darrell Smith[1]
- Elizabeth Mason Roy[1]
- George Mason III (1690–March 5, 1735)[1]
- Nicholson Mason (1694–1715 or 1716)[1]
- French Mason (1695–1748)[1]
- Mary Mason Fitzhugh Strother (born circa 1700)[1]
- Simpha Rosa Ann Field Mason Dinwiddie Bronaugh (1703–November 22, 1761)[1]
Mason married secondly to Elizabeth Waugh in Stafford County, Virginia in 1706.[1][3] George and Elizabeth had one daughter:[1]
- Catherine Mason (June 21, 1707–June 15, 1750)[1]
Mason married for a third time to Sarah Taliaferro, daughter of Francis Taliaferro and Elizabeth Catlett, in 1710.[1][3] George and Sarah had four children:[1]
Later life
Mason died in 1716 in Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland.[1][2][3] He was interred on a hillside with his father near the site of the old Accokeek estate near Accokeek Creek in Stafford County, Virginia.[2]
References
- Gunston Hall. "George Mason II". Gunston Hall. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
- Lee Woolf (April 7, 2002). "George Mason gets memorial in D.C." The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- French Family Association (2008). "Children of Dennis French, A.2". French Family Association. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
- Evisum Inc. (2000). "Virtual American Biographies". Declaration of Independence. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2008.