Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/305

 MASON

MASON

resided with his brother-in-law, the Rev. Jacob Van Vechten. He studied under the Rev. Daniel H. Barnes, and in 1822 removed to Carlisle, Pa., with his parents and was graduated at Dickin- son college in 1823. He studied theology under his cousin, the Rev. Dr. Duncan, at Baltimore, Md., in 1824, and completed his theological course at Princeton seminary in 1828. He was licensed to preach by the Second Presbytery of New York, Oct. 20, 1826, and ordained and installed pastor of the Presbyterian church in Schenectady, N.Y., May 3, 1827. He was married, Sept. 26, 1827, to a daughter of Dr. Samuel A. McCoskry. He was pastor of the Bleecker Street church. New York city, 1830-51, and was an original director of Union Theological seminary. New York city, 1836-51, and its first recorder, 1836-41. He joined the new school on the division of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church in 1838. He received the lionoi*ary degree of D.D. from Columbia college in 1838. He published numer- ous discourses during his lifetime, and a volume entitled A Pastor's Legacy was collected and published with a sketch of his life by the Rev. Wil- liam Adams, D.D., in 1853. He died in New York city. May 14, 1851.

MASON, Erskine, surgeon, was born in New York city, May 8, 1837 ; son of the Rev. Erskine and Mary (McCoskry) Mason. He was graduated at Columbia college in 1857 and at the College of Pliysicians and Surgeons, New York city, in 1830 ; settled in practice in New York city, was demonstrator of anatomy at the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons, 1861-70, and adjunct profes- sor of surgery and professor of clinical surgery in the medical department of the University of the City of New York until 1876. He was assistant surgeon to the New York Eye and Ear infirmary ; surgeon to the Charity, Bellevue and Roosevelt hospitals, and to the colored home, and consulting surgeon to St. Mary's free hospital for children. He was a clinical lecturer on surgery in Bellevue Hospital Medical college, 1879-82 ; president of the Pathological society, 1873. and a member of the New York County Medical society and the American Medical association. He made numer- ous contributions to medical literature, including reports of difficult surgical operations. He died in New York city, April 13, 1882.

MASON, Frank Hoicomb, diplomatist, was born in Niles. Ohio, April 24, 1840 ; son of Dean Edson and Bertha (Hoicomb) Mason ; grandson of Judge Ambrose Mason, and a descendant of Ransom Mason. He attended the public schools and Hiram college, and in July, 1861, enlisted in the Federal army as a private in the 42d Ohio infantry. He served throughout the war and was mustered out as captain of cavalry, Nov. 25, 1865. He devoted himself to literary work, en- VII. — 19

gagiug in journalism, and was successively a re- porter, editorial writer and managing editor of the Cleveland Leader, 1866-80. He was U.S. consul at Basle, Switzerland, 1880-84 ; at Mar- seilles, France, 1884-89 ; consul-general at Frank- fort-on-Main, 1889-99, and was appointed consul- general at Berlin to succeeded Julius Goldschmidt in 1899.

MASON, Qeorge, statesman, was born at Mason's Neck, Fairfax county, Va., in 1726 : son of George and Ann (Thomson) Mason; grand- son of George and Mary (Fowke) Mason and of Stevens Thomson, attorney-general of Virginia ; great-grandson of Sir William Thomson of Lon- don, England, and of Col. George Mason, the colonist, of Staffordshire, England, who came to Virginia and settled in Stafford county, where he was sheriff and a representative in Bacon's assembly in 1676. George Mason (born 1726) married Ann Eilbeck and built Gunston Hall in

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Truro parish on the Potomac river. He drew up the non-importation resolutions of 1769 unani- mously adopted by the Virginia assembly ; pre- sented twenty-four resolutions reviewing the trouble with the mother country, recommending the convening of a congress and strict non-in- tercourse with Great Britain, at a meeting held in Fairfaix, July 18, 1774, which were sanctioned by the Virginia convention of August, 1774, and by the Continental congress in October, 1774. He declined to serve as a delegate to congress in 1775 urging Francis Lightfoot Lee for the place ; became a factor in the executive government of the colony, as a member of the committee of safety, and as a delegate to the Virginia conven- tion drew up the declaration of rights and the first constitution of Virginia as unanimously adopted. He was a representative in the first legislature under the constitution when he in- troduced and carried through the measures that repealed the disabling acts, legalized all forms of worshipand released dissenters from paying parish rates. He was elected a delegate to congress in 1777, but again refused to serve. He was a mem-