William Temple Thomson Mason
Encyclopedia
William Temple Thomson Mason (24 July 1782–1862) was a prominent Virginia
farmer and businessman.
. "Temple", as he was known by his family, was Thomson Mason
's third child and youngest son with his second wife Elizabeth Westwood Wallace. He was named after his father’s cousin, Sir William Temple, in England
. While still in his infancy, Temple's father died on 26 February 1785 and he was left in the care of his mother and older half-brothers.
At the age of 19, Temple was sent to the College of William and Mary
to obtain a gentleman’s education. He spent two years at the college, graduating in 1803. 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. According to Thomson Mason’s last will and testament, recorded in Stafford County
on 26 September 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
. On 29 November 1803, at the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg, the three brothers filed a document in which they partitioned the land, with Temple receiving 757 acres (3.1 km²).
, in the Federal style
between 1810 and 1812. On 16 June 1812, Temple married Ann Eliza Carroll, daughter of Nicholas Maccubbin Carroll and Anne Jennings, in Annapolis
, Maryland
. Their first child, Temple Anna, was born at Temple Hall in 1813.
Temple Mason not only oversaw the management of his prosperous Temple Hall farm, but also became involved in the community life of Leesburg. He served as a vestryman
at St. James Episcopal Church and oversaw the poll
s during elections in Loudoun County. As a mark of his increased social standing in the community, Temple's estate became a hub of Leesburg society and was visited by Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette during his grand tour of the United States
on 9 August 1825. 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. 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.
Georgetown
in Washington, D.C.
Temple Mason died in 1862 and was interred in the Old Episcopal Churchyard in Leesburg.
(1725–1792); son of Thomson Mason
(1733–1785); half-brother of Stevens Thomson Mason
(1760–1803) and John Thomson Mason
(1765–1824); first cousin of George Mason V
(1753–1796); 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); uncle of Armistead Thomson Mason
(1787–1819), John Thomson Mason
(1787–1850), and John Thomson Mason, Jr. (1815–1873); and great uncle of Stevens Thomson Mason
(1811–1843).
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
farmer and businessman.
Early life
William Temple Thomson Mason was born on 24 July 1782 at Raspberry PlainRaspberry Plain
Raspberry Plain is a historic property and former plantation in Loudoun County, Virginia, near Leesburg. Raspberry Plain was one of the principal Mason family estates of Northern Virginia.- History :...
. "Temple", as he was known by his family, was Thomson Mason
Thomson Mason
Thomson Mason was a prominent Virginia lawyer, jurist, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Mason was a younger brother of George Mason IV, United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S...
's third child and youngest son with his second wife Elizabeth Westwood Wallace. He was named after his father’s cousin, Sir William Temple, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. While still in his infancy, Temple's father died on 26 February 1785 and he was left in the care of his mother and older half-brothers.
At the age of 19, Temple was sent to the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
to obtain a gentleman’s education. He spent two years at the college, graduating in 1803. Having reached the age of 21, Temple received a parcel of land in northern Loudoun County near Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
not far from Raspberry Plain, the house in which he grew up. According to Thomson Mason’s last will and testament, recorded in Stafford County
Stafford County, Virginia
Stafford County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state, and just across the Rappahannock River from the City of Fredericksburg. As of the 2000 census, the population was 92,446, increasing to 128,961 in 2010.. Its county seat is Stafford. In 2006, and again in 2009,...
on 26 September 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
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. On 29 November 1803, at the Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg, the three brothers filed a document in which they partitioned the land, with Temple receiving 757 acres (3.1 km²).
Family and career
Temple Mason built his home, Temple HillTemple Hill
Temple Hill, also known as Tsz Wan Shan , is a hill between New Kowloon and New Territories, Hong Kong. It peaks at 488 m. Beneath its south side is a residential area of Tsz Wan Shan and Buddhist temples. Its north are villages the New Territories. Between the hill and Unicorn Ridge is Sha Tin...
, in the Federal style
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
between 1810 and 1812. On 16 June 1812, Temple married Ann Eliza Carroll, daughter of Nicholas Maccubbin Carroll and Anne Jennings, in Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Their first child, Temple Anna, was born at Temple Hall in 1813.
Temple Mason not only oversaw the management of his prosperous Temple Hall farm, but also became involved in the community life of Leesburg. He served as a vestryman
Vestryman
A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body. He is not a member of the clergy.In England especially, but also in other parts of The United Kingdom, Parish Councils have long been a level of local government rather than being solely ecclesiastical in nature...
at St. James Episcopal Church and oversaw the poll
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s during elections in Loudoun County. As a mark of his increased social standing in the community, Temple's estate became a hub of Leesburg society and was visited by Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette during his grand tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 9 August 1825. Lafayette was accompanied by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
and former President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
, who was then residing at his Oak Hill plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
in southern Loudoun County. The three gentlemen witnessed the baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
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.
Later life
On 2 January 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 toGeorgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Temple Mason died in 1862 and was interred in the Old Episcopal Churchyard in Leesburg.
Children
Temple and his wife Ann had at least eleven children:- Temple Anna Mason (1813–5 June 1849)
- Nicholas Carroll Mason (died 3 May 1873)
- Maria Louisa Mason
- Mary Carter Mason (died 1897)
- Charles Carroll Mason (died 28 August 1866)
- Euphan Mason
- Ann Elizabeth Carroll Thomson Mason Magill (1815–13 September 1844)
- Westwood Thomson Mason (1819–1853)
- William Temple Thomson Mason, Jr. (1820–31 December 1891)
- Thomas Henry Carroll Mason (c. 1822–28 January 1838)
- John Thomson Mason (1827–2 June 1891)
Relations
William Temple Thomson Mason was a nephew of George MasonGeorge Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
(1725–1792); son of Thomson Mason
Thomson Mason
Thomson Mason was a prominent Virginia lawyer, jurist, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Mason was a younger brother of George Mason IV, United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S...
(1733–1785); half-brother of Stevens Thomson Mason
Stevens Thomson Mason (Virginia)
Stevens Thomson Mason was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, a member of the Virginia state legislature and a Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia .-Early life and military career:...
(1760–1803) and John Thomson Mason
John Thomson Mason
John Thomson Mason, Jr. was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland, representing the sixth district from 1841 to 1843.-Early life and education:...
(1765–1824); first cousin of George Mason V
George Mason V
George Mason V of Lexington was a planter, businessman, and militia leader. Mason was the eldest son of United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, George Mason IV....
(1753–1796); first cousin once removed of Thomson Francis Mason
Thomson Francis Mason
Thomson Francis Mason was a prominent jurist, lawyer, councilman, judge, and the mayor of Alexandria, District of Columbia between 1827 and 1830.-Early life and education:...
(1785–1838), George Mason VI
George Mason VI
George Mason VI was a prominent Virginia planter. Mason was the eldest son of planter and businessman George Mason V and grandson of United States patriot, statesman, and delegate from Virginia to the U.S...
(1786–1834), Richard Barnes Mason
Richard Barnes Mason
Richard Barnes Mason was a career general officer in the United States Army and the fifth military governor of California before it became a U.S. state.-Early life:...
(1797–1850), and James Murray Mason (1798–1871); uncle of Armistead Thomson Mason
Armistead Thomson Mason
Armistead Thomson Mason , the son of Stevens Thomson Mason, was a U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1816 to 1817.-Early life and education:...
(1787–1819), John Thomson Mason
John Thomson Mason (1787–1850)
John Thomson Mason was an American lawyer, United States marshal, Secretary of Michigan Territory from 1830 through 1831, land agent, and an important figure in the Texas Revolution.-Early life and education:...
(1787–1850), and John Thomson Mason, Jr. (1815–1873); and great uncle of Stevens Thomson Mason
Stevens T. Mason
Stevens Thomson Mason , also known as Stevens T. Mason, Tom Mason, The Boy Governor, and lesser known nicknames Young Hotspur and The Stripling, was the territorial governor of the Michigan Territory, and later the first Governor of the state of Michigan. Mason guided the Michigan Territory into...
(1811–1843).