Porch Swings, Fireflies, and Jelly Jars: Rev Michael Mason Sr's Timeline

Sunday, January 8, 2023

Rev Michael Mason Sr's Timeline

I am still knee-deep in getting caught up with my posts about the children of John D. Lewis. However, because I lack the discipline of researchers who stick to one project and see it through to completion, I became momentarily distracted by my Mason line. That's only natural because my Matilda Lewis, daughter of John D. Lewis, married William Mason. The Masons and the Lewises do rub shoulders with each other in Alabama.

The timeline for William Mason's grandfather Rev. Michael Mason Sr., which was put together by William Donald Mason and Sylvia Anderson, looks roughly like this:

1783 - 1787 Guilford County, North Carolina

1789 - 1796 Marlboro County, South Carolina

1796 - 1798 Carter County, Tennessee

1802 - 1806 Burke County, North Carolina

1812 - 1814 Bedford County, Tennessee

1819 - 1832 Madison County, Tennessee

This is the sort of timeline that, frankly, makes me a little nervous. It's a lot of movement within very short bursts of time. Could this be accurate or is there more than one Michael Mason to contend with? Can it be documented in some way that this is the same Michael Mason?

From Madison County, Alabama in 1832 back to Carter County, Tennessee in 1796, the research is on solid ground with documentation that traces Michal Mason's movements.

William Donald Mason's research established that in 1791 Michael Mason of Marlboro County, South Carolina sold land that he owned in Guilford County, North Carolina after he had removed to Marlboro County.

That means, at the most, this timeline deals with two Michael Masons and not an assortment of Michael Masons.

The problem now focuses on whether this is one or two Michael Masons. Is there a way to document that Michael Mason in Marlboro County, South Carolina removed to Carter County, Tennessee?

Enter deed records of Richmond County, North Carolina. I found an abstract of some Richmond County, North Carolina records, which document that in 1794, a man named Michael Mason of Marlboro County, South Carolina sold his land in Richmond County, North Carolina to Joel Beggett. There was not enough information in those abstracts to help me determine much about Michael Mason because the creator's focus was on the Baggett family, not the Mason family.

It was time for me to wade into the Richmond County, North Carolina records and see if Michael Mason of Marlboro County, South Carolina, generated any more records there. To be fair, I came across these abstracts a year or so ago and made no headway with them. It's probable that the Richmond County, North Carolina records were not fully digitized at the time.

Anyway, I went back into Family Search's catalog and surveyed the Richmond County, North Carolina deeds, which are currently not indexed on Family Search. I found that in October 1793, Michael Mason of Marlboro County, South Carolina purchased land from Barnabas Kipper of Richmond County, Tennessee. It's worth noting that Joel Beggett witnessed that transaction. Then in June of 1800, Michael Mason of Carter County, Tennessee sold the same piece of land to Henry William Harrington of Richmond County, North Carolina. That deed was witnessed by Josiah Kipper and John Robinson. Both of these deeds were conveniently (for me) rerecorded in Richmond County, North Carolina Deed Book U pages 350 - 352.

Richmond Co., NC Deed Bk U p 350

These two deeds, taken together, document that Michael Mason of Marlboro County, South Carolina, and Michael Mason of Carter County, Tennessee, are the same person. Therefore, the timeline does, indeed, deal with one person.

At this time, I have not found any indication that Michael Mason of Marlboro County, South Carolina, ever lived in Richmond County, North Carolina, but the two counties border each other, so it makes sense that Michael Mason might have lived in Marlboro County while owning land in Richmond County. Still, I need to keep in mind that there also might be family connections between Michael Mason and the Harringtons, Beggetts/Baggetts, and Kippers.

It is also disappointing that nothing in the Richmond County, North Carolina deeds indicates a wife for Michael.

While the research of William Donald Mason and Sylia Anderson is invaluable, I owe a huge debt to the Baggett family researcher who put an abstract of his or her research online.

Now, the Micheal Mason timeline provides a roadmap for where to look for possible wives for himself and spouses for his children - not to mention other Masons to whom Michael might be related.

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About Me:

My favorite memories from childhood include visits to my grandparents in East Texas. At dusk we'd run around my grandparent's yard, catching fireflies and putting them in jelly jars. When darkness descended, we'd return to the porch. It was a special treat to sit in the porch swing. Inevitably, the adults would launch into family stories of Pink Kelley's brush with Sherman's troops, of Great Uncle Hood Brown's tragic death, and of the Kelley family's wagon trip to Texas, among many others. The stars on those nights were magical.

I began my genealogy research in the summer of 1975, less than a month after my high school graduation. When I married in 1983, I started researching my husband's family as well. I was fortunate to start this hobby as a youngster because it gave me an opportunity to correspond with researchers who are long gone; to ask questions of family members -although not enough, never enough; and travel a bit. The result is a lot of information. I've come to the realization that I will probably never be able to afford to publish, so this is my publication.

This blog contains a mixture of information on my husband's family and mine. I've expanded into a second blog called Flimsies and Frippery with the intention of focusing on quilts and dolls, but I have several historical research entries there with more planned, which is why I don't get more quilting done.

Ultimately, genealogy is my passion. This is where I plan to record family stories, research adventures and misadventures, and those serendipitous moments that happen out of the blue. You should be warned that I have a bad habit of going back and adding information and links to individual entries, so it is beneficial to check back often if there is a family of particular interest to you. If you wander in and discover that you are a cousin, please contact me.

Since many younger family members who are new to genealogy are starting to contact me about their ancestors, I've started adding family trees to help them see how everyone is connected. The trees are divided between my family and my husband's. You will find them below under the label's Family Trees - My Husband's Side and Family Trees - My Family's Side.

For better or worse, this blog reflects the research, thinking, and writing of a human.