John Mason Martin

John Mason Martin (January 20, 1837 – June 16, 1898) was an American politician and lawyer. A Democrat, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama. He served from 1885 to 1887, representing the state's 6th district.

Early life and education Martin was born on January 20, 1837, in Athens, Alabama, though The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography states he was born in Athens, Pennsylvania. He was the son of politician Joshua L. Martin and Mary G. (née Mason) Martin. His uncle – his mother's brother – was politician John Y. Mason. He later received honorary degrees from Auburn University, Centre College, the Central University of Kentucky, Georgetown University, and the University of Alabama. During the American Civil War, he was an officer in the Confederate States Army. He was a delegate to the 1856 Democratic National Convention.

Personal life and death After serving in Congress, Martin continued practicing law in Birmingham. In 1857, he married Lucy Peck, the daughter of judge Elisha Peck; they had seven children together, four surviving to adulthood. He died on June 16, 1898, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, in Tuscaloosa.