John E. Mason

John Enoch Mason (July 11, 1854 – December 5, 1910) was an American politician, lawyer and judge from Virginia who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly representing King George County, Virginia, and adjacent counties. As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Mason represented King George and adjacent Stafford County from 1889 through 1894 and King George counties, and beginning in November 1895 through 1898, he represented King George county together with adjacent Richmond, Westmoreland, Northumberland and Lancaster counties.

Early life John Enoch Mason was born on July 11, 1854, at Edge Hill, Albemarle County, Virginia, to Maria Jefferson (née Randolph) and her husband Charles T. Mason, a Virginia state senator representing Stafford, King George and Prince William counties. At the time, his uncle Benjamin Franklin Randolph (1808-1870) was also serving in the Virginia senate, representing Albemarle County. His maternal grandfather was Thomas Jefferson Randolph, and his great-great-grandfather was Thomas Jefferson. His early education was at Locust Dale and Bethel Military Academy. During the American Civil War, he was too young to enlist, but another uncle, George W. Randolph represented the city of Richmond at the Virginia Secession convention and was the Confederate Secretary of war and also served in the Confederate Senate (1863-1865).

Mason studied at the University of Virginia, but did not graduate. He graduated from Columbian College with a Bachelor of Laws degree. He was admitted to the bar of King George County, Virginia, in September 1878. He then successfully ran for the Virginia Senate, and represented King George County together with the rest of the Northern Neck of Virginia (namely Richmond, Westmoreland, Northumberland and Lancaster counties), from December 4, 1895, to March 4, 1898.