U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1818, from the law department of William and Mary College in 1820, was admitted to the bar and preceded to practice law in Winchester, Virginia. He was a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates (1826-32) and was a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1832. In 1837, he was elected as a Jackson Democrat to the Twenty-fifth Congress, serving until 1839 and elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 1847 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Isaac Samuels Pennybacker, serving until being expelled from the Senate in 1861, for supporting the Confederacy prior to the Civil War. He was a delegate from Virginia to the Provisional Congress of the Confederacy and was appointed commissioner of the Confederacy to Great Britain and France. In way to his post, he was taken from the British steamship Trent, on November 8, 1861 and confined in Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, until released in January 1862. He then proceeded to London and represented the Confederacy until its downfall in April 1865. After the war, he resided in Canada, until 1868. Returning to Virginia, he lived on an estate near the city of Alexandria, until his death.
U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1818, from the law department of William and Mary College in 1820, was admitted to the bar and preceded to practice law in Winchester, Virginia. He was a member of the Virginia State House of Delegates (1826-32) and was a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1832. In 1837, he was elected as a Jackson Democrat to the Twenty-fifth Congress, serving until 1839 and elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 1847 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Isaac Samuels Pennybacker, serving until being expelled from the Senate in 1861, for supporting the Confederacy prior to the Civil War. He was a delegate from Virginia to the Provisional Congress of the Confederacy and was appointed commissioner of the Confederacy to Great Britain and France. In way to his post, he was taken from the British steamship Trent, on November 8, 1861 and confined in Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, until released in January 1862. He then proceeded to London and represented the Confederacy until its downfall in April 1865. After the war, he resided in Canada, until 1868. Returning to Virginia, he lived on an estate near the city of Alexandria, until his death.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
Inscription
"James Murray Mason / of Selma, near Winchester, Va. / Born / November 3rd, 1798 / Died / at Clarens, Fairfax Co. Va. / April 28th 1871 / To the memory of James M. Mason / and / Eliza M. Chew / Married / July 25th, 1822. / Eliza Margretta Mason / Daughter of / Benjamin Chew of Philadelphia / Born / at Cliveden, Germantown / Novr. 18th, 1798 / Died / at Clarens, Fairfax Co. Va. / Feby. 14th, 1874."
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
