William Temple Thomson Mason
| William Temple Thomson Mason | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Temple Thomson Mason July 24, 1782 Raspberry Plain, Leesburg, Virginia |
| Died |
1862 Georgetown, Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | Old Episcopal Churchyard, Leesburg, Virginia |
| Residence | Temple Hall, Leesburg, Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | The College of William & Mary |
| Occupation | planter, businessperson |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Eliza Carroll |
| Children | 11 |
| Parent(s) |
Thomson Mason Elizabeth Westwood Wallace |
| Relatives | nephew of George Mason IV |
William Temple Thomson Mason (July 24, 1782–1862)[1] was a prominent Virginia farmer and businessman.
Early life
William Temple Thomson Mason was born on July 24, 1782 at Raspberry Plain. "Temple", as he was known by his family, was Thomson Mason's third child and youngest son with his second wife Elizabeth Westwood Wallace.[1][2] He was named after his father’s cousin, Sir William Temple, in England.[2] While still in his infancy, Temple's father died on February 26, 1785 and he was left in the care of his mother and older half-brothers.[1][2]
At the age of 19, Temple was sent to the College of William and Mary to obtain a gentleman’s education.[2] He spent two years at the college, graduating in 1803.[2] Having reached the age of 21, Temple received a parcel of land in northern Loudoun County near Leesburg not far from Raspberry Plain, the house in which he grew up.[2] According to Thomson Mason's last will and testament, recorded in Stafford County on September 26, 1784, he bequeathed to Temple, his brother Westwood Thomson Mason and their half-brother, Abram Barnes Thomson Mason, several hundred acres of land along the Potomac River.[2] On November 29, 1803,[2] at the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg, the three brothers filed a document in which they partitioned the land, with Temple receiving 757 acres (3.06 km2).[2]
Family and career
Temple Mason built his home, Temple Hall, in the Federal style between 1810 and 1812. On June 16, 1812, Temple married Ann Eliza Carroll, daughter of Nicholas Maccubbin Carroll and Anne Jennings, in Annapolis, Maryland.[1][2] Their first child, Temple Anna, was born at Temple Hall in 1813.[1][2]
Temple Mason not only oversaw the management of his prosperous Temple Hall farm, but also became involved in the community life of Leesburg.[2] He served as a vestryman at St. James Episcopal Church and oversaw the polls during elections in Loudoun County.[2] As a mark of his increased social standing in the community, Temple's estate became a hub of Leesburg society[3] and was visited by Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette during his grand tour of the United States on August 9, 1825.[2][3] Lafayette was accompanied by President John Quincy Adams and former President James Monroe, who was then residing at his Oak Hill plantation in southern Loudoun County.[2] The three gentlemen witnessed the baptism of Mason's two youngest daughters at Temple Hall with Lafayette serving as godfather for Mary Carroll, and Adams and Monroe serving as Maria Louisa's godfathers.[2][2][3]
Mason served one term in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1830-1831.[4]
Later life
On January 2, 1857, six years after the death of his wife, and at the age of 75, Temple sold Temple Hall to Henry A. Ball for the sum of $50,000 and retired to Georgetown in Washington, D.C.[2][3] Temple Mason died in 1862 and was interred in the Old Episcopal Churchyard in Leesburg.[1][2]
Children
Temple and his wife Ann had at least eleven children:[1]
- Temple Anna Mason (1813–June 5, 1849)[1]
- Nicholas Carroll Mason (died May 3, 1873)[1]
- Maria Louisa Mason[1]
- Mary Carter Mason (died 1897)[1]
- Charles Carroll Mason (died August 28, 1866)[1]
- Euphan Mason[1]
- Ann Elizabeth Carroll Thomson Mason Magill (1815–September 13, 1844)[1]
- Westwood Thomson Mason (1819–1853)[1]
- William Temple Thomson Mason, Jr. (1820–December 31, 1891)[1]
- Thomas Henry Carroll Mason (c. 1822–January 28, 1838)[1]
- John Thomson Mason (1827–June 2, 1891)[1]
Relations
William Temple Thomson Mason was a nephew of George Mason (1725–1792);[1] son of Thomson Mason (1733–1785);[1] half-brother of Stevens Thomson Mason (1760–1803) and John Thomson Mason (1765–1824);[1] first cousin of George Mason V (1753–1796);[1] first cousin once removed of Thomson Francis Mason (1785–1838), George Mason VI (1786–1834), Richard Barnes Mason (1797–1850), and James Murray Mason (1798–1871);[1] uncle of Armistead Thomson Mason (1787–1819), John Thomson Mason (1787–1850), and John Thomson Mason, Jr. (1815–1873);[1] and great uncle of Stevens Thomson Mason (1811–1843).[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Gunston Hall. "William Temple Thomson Mason". Gunston Hall. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Eugene M. Scheel & John S. Salmon (December 13, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Catoctin Rural Historic District" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (October 25, 2008). "Temple Hall". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- ↑ Virginia State Library (1917). eport of the Virginia State Library, Volumes 13-14. Virginia State Library, Division of Purchase and Printing. p. 130. Retrieved 24 July 2015.