Lemuel Mason

Colonel Lemuel Mason ( – ) was an early Virginia planter, politician, justice of the peace, and militia colonel, who represented Lower Norfolk County in the House of Burgesses intermittently over three decades.

Early and family life Mason was born around 1628 in then-vast Surry County to ancient planter Francis Mason and his second wife Alice. By the mid-1620s, his father was a planter in Elizabeth City County. There has long been disagreement as to whether his father Francis Mason or another man of the same name emigrated to the Virginia colony with his first wife Mary and daughter Anne in 1613 and settled in Surry County (south of Jamestown but north of Elizabeth City county). His mother had emigrated to the Virginia Colony in 1622, months after Native Americans had killed many settlers. This man had half brothers named Francis and James (the latter moving to Surry County by 1637 and representing it as a burgess in the 1654-1655 session), and sisters named Anne, Elizabeth and Alice. In the 1624 muster for Elizabeth City, Francis Mason (aged about 40) was living with his younger wife Alice, Virginia-born son Francis and five indentured servants. In 1626, shortly before this boy's birth, either his father Francis Mason or elder half brother Francis Jr. returned to England with William Ganey. His widow and this young Lemuel Mason were appointed administrators of his estate in 1648. He appears not to have served in the legislature through the entire Long Assembly, but had a gap in service before winning election (or agreeing to serve) in 1662, and then again in 1671-1673. During Bacon's Rebellion, Arthur Moreley and Richard Church represented Lower Norfolk County, which did not again send a representative to the legislature until 1680, when either this man or his son of the same name served and was re-elected in 1684 and 1685. Other men won election and served in the 1688 and 1691-1692 sessions. In the two separately elected 1693 sessions, either this man or his son of the same name represented Norfolk County.

Meanwhile, in the immediate aftermath of Bacon's Rebellion, in January 1676, Mason wrote Governor Berkeley seeking recompense from the estate of the executed William Carver for the local militia's need to resupply weapons taken by Carver, as well as crop losses incurred by 60 loyal Lower Norfolk men who traveled to James City to assist the governor.

Personal life Lemuel Mason married to Anne Seawald/Seawell, daughter of Henry Seawald/Seawell of Sewell's Point. Together they had children:

Death and legacy

Mason's will was dated June 17, 1695 and was proved September 15, 1702. Both his sons briefly attempted to carry on his political legacy representing Norfolk County in the House of Burgesse, but each served only in one session: Thomas in 1696-7 (during this man's life) and George in 1705-6.