Sir Richard Mason (c. 1633 – 8 March 1685) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

and Courtier.

Career

He held the following offices: *

Clerk of the Green Cloth The Clerk of the Green Cloth was a position in the British Royal Household. The clerk acted as secretary of the Board of Green Cloth, and was therefore responsible for organising royal journeys and assisting in the administration of the Royal ...

* Second Clerk Controller of Charles II's Household * One of the Commissioners for executing the office of

Master of the Horse Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today. (Ancient Rome) The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...

, 1679 * MP for

Yarmouth Yarmouth may refer to: Places Canada *Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia **Yarmouth, Nova Scotia **Municipality of the District of Yarmouth **Yarmouth (provincial electoral district) **Yarmouth (electoral district) * Yarmouth Township, Ontario *New ...

1673 * MP for

Bishop's Castle Bishop's Castle is a market town in the south west of Shropshire, England. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,893. Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales-England border, about north-west of Ludlow and about south-west of ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

1680–1. He had a seat at King's Clere in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

but resided principally at Sutton in

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

where he owned the manor of

Coulsdon Coulsdon (, traditionally pronounced ) is a town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, in the ceremonial county of Greater London since 1965. Prior to this it was part of the historic county of Surrey. History The l ...

Marriage and issue

He married c. 1662, Anna Margaretta Long, daughter of

Sir James Long, 2nd Baronet Sir James Long, 2nd Baronet (c. 1617 – 22 January 1692) was an English politician and Royalist soldier. Born at South Wraxall, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, the son of Sir Walter Long and Anne Ley (daughter of James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough ...

. They had two daughters: * Dorothy, married

Sir William Brownlow, 4th Baronet Sir William Brownlow, 4th Baronet (5 November 1665 – 6 March 1701) of Belton House near Grantham in Lincolnshire, was an English Member of Parliament. Origins He was the younger son of Sir Richard Brownlow, 2nd Baronet (died 1668) of Humby ...

of Humby *

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

, married 1) (div 1698)

Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield Charles Gerard, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield (c. 16595 November 1701) was an English peer, soldier and MP. Biography He was born in France, the eldest son of Charles Gerard, Baron Brandon (later 1st Earl of Macclesfield), and Jeanne, the daughter of ...

, 2) c. 1700

Colonel Henry Brett Henry Brett (died 1724) was an English man about town, an army officer and Tory politician. He was involved in the theatrical world, and an associate of the playwrights Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. Life He was the eldest son of Henry Brett ...

. Sir Richard Mason was one of those present at the death of Charles II. His wife, Lady Anna Mason wrote a detailed account of the King's last illness and subsequent death, in a letter to her mother Lady Dorothy Long at Draycot House in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. This letter came to light in 1850 when it was found among papers at Draycot House, and was published soon afterwards by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

in his weekly magazine

Household Words ''Household Words'' was an English weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens in the 1850s. It took its name from the line in Shakespeare's ''Henry V'': "Familiar in his mouth as household words." History During the planning stages, titles origi ...

.Mason, Lady Anne. "Account of the Death of Charles II by a Wife of a Person about the Court at Whitehall". Household Words, London. 1954, Vol 9, pp 277-8. Sir Richard Mason died 8 March 1685 and is buried at the parish church at Sutton. His widow and daughter Dorothy inherited the manor of

and in 1688 sold the estate to Sir Edward des Bouverie. Lady Mason died in July 1717.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Sir Richard 1630s births 1685 deaths English knights English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 Members of Parliament for the Isle of Wight