Mason Brown (November 10, 1799 – January 27, 1867) was an American politician who served as
secretary of state of Kentucky
The secretary of state of Kentucky is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is now an elected office, but was an appointed office prior to 1891. The current secretary of state is Republican Michael Adams, who was e ...
and
Kentucky state treasurer
The Kentucky State Treasurer is elected every four years along with the governor and other statewide officials. The treasurer, who can serve two terms, acts as the state's chief elected fiscal officer.Kentucky TreasureWebsite/ref> The salary is $1 ...
.
Mason Brown was born November 10, 1799, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, to
John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
and Margaretta (Mason) Brown.
[Kleber, p. 130] At the time of his birth, his father was a
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. His mother was a sister of
John M. Mason, D. D.
Brown was reared at
Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall ( ga, Halla na Saoirse), in Dublin, Ireland, is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU). Designed by Desmond Rea O'Kelly, it was completed in 1965. It was for a time the tallest b ...
, his parents' estate in
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...
.
His early education was obtained through private tutors.
He joined the Sophomore Class in
Yale College
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
in 1817, graduating in 1820. After graduation, he returned to Frankfort and studied law.
He entered the law office of
John J. Crittenden
John Jordan Crittenden (September 10, 1787 July 26, 1863) was an American statesman and politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United ...
. He completed his studies in the
Law School at Lexington, and began the practice of law in
Maysville. After a few years he removed to Frankfort and became the law partner of
Benjamin Mills, and subsequently, of
Charles S. Morehead
Charles Slaughter Morehead (July 7, 1802 – December 21, 1868) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, and served as the 20th Governor of Kentucky. Though a member of the Whig Party for most of his political service, he joined the Know Not ...
.
In 1825, Brown married Judith A. Bledsoe of
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
.
She was the daughter of former U.S. Senator
Jesse Bledsoe
Jesse Bledsoe (April 6, 1776June 25, 1836) was a slave owner and Senator from Kentucky.
Life and career
Bledsoe was born in Culpeper County, Virginia in 1776. When he was very young, his family migrated with a Baptist congregation through Cumber ...
. The couple had one son,
Benjamin Gratz Brown
Benjamin Gratz Brown (May 28, 1826December 13, 1885) was an American politician. He was a U.S. Senator, the 20th Governor of Missouri, and the Liberal Republican and Democratic Party vice presidential candidate in the presidential election of ...
, who went on to become a U.S. Senator from
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
.
Following his first wife's death, Brown married Mary Yoder of
Spencer County, Kentucky
Spencer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the total population was 19,490. Its county seat is Taylorsville. The county was founded in 1824 and named for Spier Spencer.
Spencer County is part of t ...
, in 1835.
Brown and his second wife had six additional children: John Mason Brown, Margaretta M. (Brown) Barrett, Mary Yoder (Brown) Scott, Yoder Brown, Knox Brown, and Eliza (Brown) Baily.
Brown and Morehead compiled ''A Digest of the Statute Laws of Kentucky'', also known as ''Morehead and Brown's Digest'', in 1834.
In 1839, Brown was appointed to the bench of the
Circuit Court of his District, and he served in that capacity until resigning in 1849 to return to his law practice.
Morehead was elected
governor of Kentucky
The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-el ...
in 1855 and appointed Brown as his Secretary of State.
Both men's terms expired in 1859.
Brown died on January 27, 1867, in Frankfort and was buried in
Frankfort Cemetery
The Frankfort Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors and a ...
, which he had helped establish in 1844.
References
*
External links
*
Kentucky Secretary of State bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Mason
1799 births
1867 deaths
Politicians from Philadelphia
Yale College alumni
Kentucky lawyers
Secretaries of State of Kentucky
State treasurers of Kentucky
19th-century American politicians
Kentucky Democrats
19th-century American lawyers