Mason, John Young

Born April 18, 1799, in Hicksford (now Emporia), VA
Died October 3, 1859, in Paris, France

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Nominated by Martin Van Buren on February 26, 1841, to a seat vacated by Peter V. Daniel. Confirmed by the Senate on March 2, 1841, and received commission on March 3, 1841. Service terminated on March 23, 1844, due to resignation.

Education:
Litchfield (Tapping Reeve) Law School
University of North Carolina, A.B., 1816
Read law, 1819

Professional Career:

Private practice, Greensville County, Virginia, 1819-1821
Private practice, Southampton County, Virginia, 1821-1831
State delegate, Virginia, 1823-1827
State senator, Virginia, 1827-1831
Commonwealth's attorney, Greensville County, Virginia, 1827-1831
U.S. representative from Virginia, 1831-1837
Private practice, Hicksford (now Emporia), Virginia, 1837-1841
Secretary of the Navy, 1844-1845, 1846-1849
Attorney General of the United States, 1845-1846
Private practice, Richmond, Virginia, 1849-1854
Minister plenipotentiary to France, U.S. Department of State, 1854-1859

Bibliography

Williams, Frances Leigh. "The Heritage and Preparation of a Statesman, John Young Mason, 1799-1859." Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 75 (1967): 305-30.

Manuscript Collections

Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
John Y. Mason papers, 1830-1971.
27 items; correspondence and other material relating to Mason's work as a U.S. attorney and Secretary of the Navy; collection is a part of the Miscellaneous Manuscripts collection.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Southern Historical Collection
Chapel Hill, N.C.
John Y. Mason papers, 1843-1898.
1,500 items; finding aid; collection contains family and professional correspondence, and miscellaneous papers.

Virginia Historical Society
Richmond, Va.
Mason family papers, 1789-1965.
9,967 items; finding aid; collection contains Mason's correspondence (1817-1859), accounts (1819-1859), notes, and legal and official documents.

John Y. Mason letter books, 1853-1859.
17 vols.; finding aid; miscellaneous correspondence.

Federal Judicial Center

You are here

Mason, John Young