John Mason Popular Books

John Mason Biography & Facts

John Mason (October 1600 – January 30, 1672) was an English-born settler, soldier, commander and Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony. Mason was best known for leading a group of Puritan settlers and Indian allies on a combined attack on a Pequot Fort in an event known as the Mystic Massacre. The destruction and loss of life he oversaw effectively ended the hegemony of the Pequot tribe in southeast Connecticut. Early life and education Mason was born in Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire, England. John Mason's baptism is recorded in the St. Deny's church records on October 5, 1600, and lists his father as Richard Mason, who was married on May 23, 1600, in Ravensthorpe to Alis Burlyn - Burlyn is probably an error for Butlyn because Alis Butlyn was baptized in Ravensthorpe on September 9. 1576. Alis could be the phonetic version of Alice. Little is known about his youth and life there. Mason was well educated, but it is not known where he was schooled in England or perhaps a military school in the Netherlands. He enlisted in the military in 1624 and then went to the Netherlands to serve in the sectarian Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), where he gained significant tactical military experience, first seeing action in the Breda Campaign. His activities from the earliest days in New England give evidence of training as a military engineer. His prose is vigorous and direct in his regular correspondence with the Winthrop Family and in his history of the Pequot War.By 1629 he was a lieutenant in the Brabant Campaign and participated in the Siege of s'-Hertogenbosch, literally "The Duke's Forrest" in English, and known historically in French as Bois-le-Duc. He served with Lord Thomas Fairfax under General Sir Horace Vere in the army of Frederik Hendrik, The Prince of Orange. Early life in America In 1632, he joined the great Puritan exodus and sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, settling in Dorchester where he was promptly appointed as the captain of the local militia. In 1633, he commanded the first American naval task force and pursued the pirate Dixie Bull, routing him from New England waters. He and Roger Ludlow planned and supervised the construction of the first fortifications on Castle Island (later known as Fort Independence) in Boston Harbor. In 1634, he was elected to represent Dorchester in the Massachusetts General Court, where permission was granted for him to remove to the fertile Connecticut River valley. In 1635, he settled in Windsor, Connecticut, at the confluence of the Farmington River and the Connecticut River; he lived there for the next twelve years and served as a civil Magistrate and military leader of the nascent Connecticut Colony. In 1640, he married Anne Peck from a prominent Puritan family; they had eight children. Pequot War 1636–1638 The main battle of the Pequot War started in the predawn hours of May 26, 1637, when Colonial forces led by Captains John Mason and lieutenant Robert Seeley, along with their Indian allies, attacked one of two main fortified Pequot villages at Mystic. Only 20 soldiers breached the palisade's gate and were quickly overwhelmed, to the point that they utilized fire to create chaos and facilitate their escape from within. Sergeant William Hayden of Windsor is credited with saving the life of Captain Mason inside the fort, using his sword to cut through the bow-string of one of the Pequot warriors aiming his weapon at Mason. The ensuing conflagration trapped the majority of the Pequots and caused their death; those who managed to exit were slain by the sword or musket from the others who surrounded the fort. Only a handful of approximately 500 men, women, and children survived what became known as the Battle of Mistick Fort.As the soldiers made the exhausted withdrawal march to their boats, they faced several attacks by frantic warriors from the other village of Weinshauks, but again the Pequots suffered very heavy losses versus relatively few by the Colonists. These two defeats broke the resources and spirit of the tribe, who then decided to retreat west to the Hudson River area. They were pursued along the southern coast, with other confrontations at Sachem's Head and the Fairfield swamp, suffering more deaths and capture. Pequot grand sachem Sassacus and his core band did make it to New York, but Sassacus was killed there by the Mohawks; they cut off his hands and head and delivered them to the Massachusetts Bay Colony without explanation for their actions. Mason recounted his experiences in the Pequot War in his narrative Major Mason's Brief History of the Pequot War, which was originally printed in 1677 by Increase Mather and later reprinted by Thomas Prince in 1736. The most prominent episode in Mason's lifelong career of public service was his overall command as captain of the Colonial forces in the Pequot War in 1637. This was the first declared and sustained conflict in Southern New England, a complex and risky campaign. The large and powerful Pequot Tribe had subjugated other local tribes, killed numerous Colonial settlers and destroyed vital corn crops. The Massachusetts Bay Colony eventually declared war with them, and reluctantly the infant Connecticut Colony was quickly drawn into the conflict. The Pequots greatly outnumbered the colonists, but had inferior weapons and tactics. The colonists also had the guidance and support of numerous Indian allies who were tributaries to the Pequots, especially Mohegan Sachem Uncas, who formed a unique and lasting bond with Mason and also Wequash Cooke. This brief and decisive war, with the Mystic Massacre in particular, forever changed the complexion of American society. It is debated whether or not this event is considered a battle or massacre, given it may have involved deliberate arson of an indigenous village, with deaths of women and children estimated in the hundreds. The battle at Mistick Fort was featured in the History Channel series 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America, and is central to scholarly arguments regarding genocide studies in the colonial era. Following this victory, Mason was promoted to major and received numerous land grants as a reward for his services. Mason's Island at the mouth of the Mystic River remained in his family for over 250 years. After the Pequot War In 1640, an event took place that forever changed the political boundaries of the Connecticut River Valley. From its founding until that time, Springfield, Massachusetts (then called Agawam) had been administered by the Connecticut Colony, along with Connecticut's three other settlements at Wethersfield, Hartford, and Windsor. In the spring of 1640, grain was very scarce and cattle were dying of starvation. The nearby Connecticut River Valley settlements of Windsor (then called "Matianuck") and Hartford (then called "Newtown") gave power to William Pynchon, the founder of Springfield, to buy corn for all three English settlements. If the Indians would not s.... Discover the John Mason popular books. Find the top 100 most popular John Mason books.

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  • Gilgamesh synopsis, comments

    Gilgamesh

    Stephen Mitchell

    Gilgamesh is considered one of the masterpieces of world literature, and although previously there have been competent scholarly translations of it, until now there has not been a ...

  • John T. Mason, Plaintiff in Error v. Joseph C. Gamble and David Gamble synopsis, comments

    John T. Mason, Plaintiff in Error v. Joseph C. Gamble and David Gamble

    United States Supreme Court

    A motion has been made to dismiss this case for want of jurisdiction, upon the ground that the sum in dispute does not exceed $2,000. The case is this: The plaintiff in error is th...

  • Today Programme Puzzle Book synopsis, comments

    Today Programme Puzzle Book

    BBC & BBC Public Service Broadcating

    The best intelligent puzzle book on the market Fiendish fun! The Times Can YOU solve the Puzzle for Today?Tackle the conundrums that have been frustrating and confounding the na...

  • The Templar Revelation synopsis, comments

    The Templar Revelation

    Lynn Picknett & Clive Prince

    The most closely guarded secret of the western world is about to be revealedand you will never see Christianity in the same light again. In a remarkable achievement of historical d...

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    Kubrick

    Robert P. Kolker & Nathan Abrams

    The definitive biography of the creator of 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and A Clockwork Orange, presenting the most indepth portrait yet of the groundbreaking filmmaker.The ...

  • John Davis and Others, Plaintiffs in Error v. Richard B. Mason synopsis, comments

    John Davis and Others, Plaintiffs in Error v. Richard B. Mason

    United States Supreme Court

    The plaintiffs here were defendants below, to an action of ejectment, brought to recover eight thousand acres of land lying in the state of Kentucky. The law of real estates in Ken...

  • The Masonic Myth synopsis, comments

    The Masonic Myth

    Jay Kinney

    The Truth Revealed Freemasons have been connected to the allseeing eye on the dollar bill, the French Revolution, the Knights Templar, and the pyramids of Egypt. They have been rum...

  • The Path of Freemasonry synopsis, comments

    The Path of Freemasonry

    Mark Stavish, Arturo de Hoyos & Lon Milo DuQuette

    Shares the history and meaning of Freemasonry and its symbols Offers thoughtful explorations of different areas of Masonic experience, drawing on esoteric doctrines and paralleli...

  • Act of Treason synopsis, comments

    Act of Treason

    Mark North

    In this meticulously researched classic of the JFK conspiracy genre that Library Journal calls "sensational," Mark North argues convincingly that President John F. Kennedy died as ...

  • The Witness synopsis, comments

    The Witness

    Simon Kernick

    This engrossing and unputdownable fastpaced thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick, the UK's answer to Harlan Coben, is perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Stu...

  • Robert J. Taylor and Others, Appellants v. John Thompson Mason synopsis, comments

    Robert J. Taylor and Others, Appellants v. John Thompson Mason

    United States Supreme Court

    The third will is without date, but is proved, by its contents, to have been executed after the others, probably in the year 1803. After some small bequests, the testator says, 'I ...

  • Mason Corporation v. John E. Kennedy synopsis, comments

    Mason Corporation v. John E. Kennedy

    Supreme Court of Alabama

    MADDOX, Justice. Appellant, Mason Corporation, filed an original bill seeking temporary and permanent injunctive relief and damages against John E. Kennedy, Jr., the com...

  • The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet synopsis, comments

    The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet

    Tarek Malouf

    The brilliant new book from Britain’s favourite bakery – packed with recipes for extraspecial treats and surprises.Delving into the wonderful world of American homebaking, this is ...

  • William C. Brashear, Plaintiff in Error v. John Y. Mason synopsis, comments

    William C. Brashear, Plaintiff in Error v. John Y. Mason

    United States Supreme Court

    3. The conduct of the parties in acting under the convention immediately after it was ratified.–The government of Texas issued an order to the commander of the navy for delivery to...

  • The Pocket Guide to Building Your Own Home synopsis, comments

    The Pocket Guide to Building Your Own Home

    David Snell

    Hundreds of thousands of us renovate, convert, extend and improve our homes each year, and onethird of all new detached homes are selfbuilt. If you're looking to build your own pro...

  • Flinders synopsis, comments

    Flinders

    Grantlee Kieza

    The extraordinary life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the mapIn 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by ...

  • The Kid synopsis, comments

    The Kid

    Kevin Lewis

    Kevin Lewis grew up on a council estate in South London. Beaten and starved by his parents, ignored by the social services and bullied at school, he was offered a chance to escape ...

  • How the States Got Their Shapes Too synopsis, comments

    How the States Got Their Shapes Too

    Mark Stein

    Was Roger Williams too pure for the Puritans, and what does that have to do with Rhode Island?  Why did Augustine Herman take ten years to complete the map that established De...

  • The Midnight Conspiracy synopsis, comments

    The Midnight Conspiracy

    David Leadbeater

    Don’t miss the third adrenalinefilled, actionadventure in the Joe Mason series!When Joe Mason agrees to transport a priceless gold basin to its new owner, the exMI5 operative arriv...

  • 7 best short stories by A. E. W. Mason synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories by A. E. W. Mason

    A. E. W. Mason & August Nemo

    A. E. W. Mason is best remembered for his 1902 novel of courage and cowardice in wartime, The Four Feathers and is also known as the creator of Inspector Hanaud, a French detective...

  • Race and Nation in Puerto Rican Folklore synopsis, comments

    Race and Nation in Puerto Rican Folklore

    Rafael Ocasio

    Race and Nation in Puerto Rican Folklore: Franz Boas and John Alden Mason in Porto Rico explores the historic research trip taken to Puerto Rico in 1915. As a component of the Scie...

  • Sonny Bill Williams synopsis, comments

    Sonny Bill Williams

    Sonny Bill Williams & Alan Duff

    Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is a once in a hundredyear athlete with immense sporting talent in Rugby League, Rugby Union and Boxing. Sonny Bill has built an incredible career and spo...

  • Hudson Fysh synopsis, comments

    Hudson Fysh

    Grantlee Kieza

    The extraordinary life of the Gallipoli veteran and WWI Flying Corp gunner who founded Qantas and gave Australia its wingsBy the critically acclaimed author of bestselling biograph...

  • House of Music synopsis, comments

    House of Music

    Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason

    WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARD 2022 FOR NONFICTIONWINNER OF THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY STORYTELLING AWARD 2021‘Riveting, taking in prejudice as well as sacrifice. There are 4.3...

  • Detox Your Heart synopsis, comments

    Detox Your Heart

    Valerie Mason-John, Christopher Titmuss & Angel Kyodo Williams

    Drawing on her own experiences with abuse and addiction, Valerie MasonJohn presents a wellgrounded series of meditations that transform anger, hatred, and fear to heal emotional tr...

  • Lo imposible es posible synopsis, comments

    Lo imposible es posible

    John Mason

    John Mason, autor de varios éxitos de librería, captura verdades que inspiran en declaraciones concisas en este libro escrito en un formato fácil de recordar y aplicar a los asunto...

  • Shadow Man synopsis, comments

    Shadow Man

    Margaret Kirk

    'Shadow Man is a harrowing and horrific game of consequences.' Val McDermid THE FIRST COMPELLING SCOTTISH CRIME THRILLER IN THE GRIPPING DI LUKAS MAHLER SERIESTwo sistersJust befo...

  • In the Blood synopsis, comments

    In the Blood

    Margaret Kirk

    The bloated remains of a man are discovered bound to a derelict pier in Orkney and newly promoted DCI Lukas Mahler dispatches a team to investigate. But when the body is identified...

  • Monash synopsis, comments

    Monash

    Grantlee Kieza

    Stunning trade paperback edition of Grantlee Kieza's bestselling biography of Australia's greatest generalIt's December 1918 and the world war is over. General Sir John Monash atte...

  • Un enemigo llamado promedio synopsis, comments

    Un enemigo llamado promedio

    John Mason

    Dentro de cada persona se ha colocado un deseo de ser diferente, distintivo... ser un original. Muy adentro, todos desean ser superiores. Nadie realmente sólo desea pasar inadverti...

  • Eagle Trap synopsis, comments

    Eagle Trap

    Geoffrey Archer

    Revenge is not a possibility, but a certainty.He was head of an international drugs ring, a kidnapper and a ruthless killer. One night British Sea Harriers reduced his Beirut headq...

  • Memory Palaces and Masonic Lodges synopsis, comments

    Memory Palaces and Masonic Lodges

    Charles B. Jameux

    Reveals how the art of memory is the origin of the Masonic method Explains the classical techniques of the art of memory, how they were reworked by hermetic thinkers during the Re...

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    Withdrawn Traces

    Sara Hawys Roberts & Leon Noakes

    New discoveries and a fresh perspective, with unprecedented access to Richey's personal archiveOn 1 February 1995, Richey Edwards, guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers, went mis...