The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
State of Service: PA
Qualifying Service: Patriotic Service
John Mason was born in Germany around 1730 as Johannes Phillip Maurer. John, along with his parents and brother Martin, settled in Virginia in 1743. His brother George was born in Virginia after they arrived. He married Apollonia Becker around 1762 in Virginia and they migrated with John’s parents to settle in what was known as German Township, Pennsylvania. Exactly when the name "John Mason" was first used is not known. The earliest record found of that name is 1768 in land records. Apollonia anglicized her name to Abigail.
In the book Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, the author stated that Mason's Fort was built by John Mason between 1774-1778. For his service during the Revolution, John Mason was recorded by the SAR in 1979 as "Patriot, builder of a frontier fort and defender of the frontier." His service was verified by NSDAR in Oct, 1981.
John and Abigail were founding members of Jacob's Lutheran Church around 1768. The names of John and other founding members are written in the stained glass windows in the current church building. The name Germantown was changed to Masontown as John Mason planned out the town on a tract of land he deeded to the citizens in May 1798. They also established the first system of public instruction in Masontown in 1801 when they deeded to the citizens a house and lot on for schooling purposes. The land can never be sold by the city or used for any other purpose however the location is no longer suitable for a school building so it remains a vacant lot. There is a historical marker sign recognizing John and Abigail Mason as the founders of Masontown as well as a stone monument marking the location of Fort Mason.
In 1802 John and Abigail Mason sold all their remaining land and most possessions and moved westward to Unity Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, with several of their children and their families. John and Abigail, along with a few children and grandchild, are buried in a small family cemetery on what was his property.
John's father Phillip Mason served in the French and Indian War and was a soldier with Washington at the defeat of General Braddock, while on his way to capture Fort Duquesne in 1755. John's 13 year old brother Martin was there helping with supplies when Martin was taken as a prisoner. Martin moved his family to Ohio in 1804 and settled in Ashland County, Ohio where a small family cemetery remains. Martin is also a verified Revolutionary War Patriot for furnishing supplies.
John’s brother George Mason enlisted in the Revolutionary war in Jul 1781 and served as a private under Colonel Lochry. During the battle known was Lochry’s Defeat at least 100 men were either killed or taken prisoner. George was taken prisoner and held by the Indians and the British but managed to escape. He is also a registered Patriot.
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Patriot biographies must be the original work of the author, and work submitted must not belong to another person or group, in observance with copyright law. Patriot biographies are to be written in complete sentences, follow the established rules of grammar, syntax and punctuation, be free of typographical errors, and follow a narrative format. The narrative should unfold in a logical manner (e.g. the narrative does not jump from time period to time period) or have repeated digressions, or tell the history of the patriot's line from the patriot ancestor to the author. The thinking here is that this is a patriot biography, not a lineage report or a kinship determination project or other report published in a genealogy journal. The biography should discuss the qualifying service (military, patriotic, civil) of the patriot ancestor, where the service was rendered, whether this was a specific state or Continental service, as well as significant events (as determined by the author) of the patriot's life. This is the entire purpose of a patriot's biography.
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