Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

John Thomson Mason (1765-1824)
MSA SC 3520-1495 

Biography:

Born in Chopawamsic, Virginia, March 15, 1765.  Son of Thomson Mason and wife Mary King Barnes.  Episcopalian.  Admitted to Frederick County bar, 1791.  Married Elizabeth Beltzhoover; seven children, including John Thomson Mason (1815-1873).  Died in Washington County, December 10, 1824.

Sometimes referred to as John Thompson Mason. Prominent lawyer in Maryland and Washington, D.C. He was offered the position as Attorney General of the United States by President Thomas Jefferson in 1805 and President James Madison in 1811, but declined both times. He was selected to serve as Maryland's Attorney General on July 12, 1806, following William Pinkey's resignation due to his duties in Great Britain. Mason resigned as Attorney General on September 30, 1806 upon his election to the Maryland State Senate. He resigned the seat in the Senate due to concerns over his residency, however, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the same body the following year. He resigned the seat again in 1808. He went on to represent Washington County in the House of Delegates during the 1813 and 1814 regular sessions, and was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1809 and 1816.

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