William James Peake Mason, 1st Baron Blackford JP (11 November 1862 – 21 July 1947), known as Sir William Mason, Bt, between 1918 and 1935, was a British politician and public servant. Mason was the son of George Holt Mason, of Broadwater,

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. T ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and Laura Mary, daughter of Charles John Moakes. He was called to the Bar,

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

, in 1891.thepeerage.com William James Peake Mason, 1st Baron Blackford
/ref> In 1910 he unsuccessfully contested Finsbury East as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

in both general elections of that year. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was Chairman of Executive of the British Ambulance Committee and was created a Baronet in 1918 for "public and local services". Mason was also a Justice of the Peace for

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

and served as

High Sheriff of Somerset The office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient shrievalty which has been in existence since the 11th century. Originally known as the "Sheriff of Somerset", the role was retitled on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government ...

in 1928. In 1935 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Blackford, of

Compton Pauncefoot Compton Pauncefoot is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated beside the A303 road, south west of Wincanton in the South Somerset district. The parish had a population of 139 in 2011. The civil parish also includes the village w ...

in the County of Somerset, for "political and public services in the County of Somerset". There is no record of him having ever spoken in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. Lord Blackford married Edith, daughter of Alexander Murray Affleck, in 1885. He died in July 1947, aged 84, and was succeeded in the baronetcy and barony by his son, Glyn. Lady Blackford died in May 1958.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackford 1862 births 1947 deaths 1 High Sheriffs of Somerset Members of the Middle Temple Barons created by George V