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MASON, John Charles
1798 - 1881 (83 years) Has no ancestors and no descendants in this family tree.
1803 - 1878 (75 years)-
Name MASON, John Charles Birth Mar 1798 Soho, Westminster, Middlesex, England 
Gender Male Death 21 Dec 1881 Bayswater, London, England Person ID I6371 Edgoose Last Modified 6 Feb 2026
Family ENSOR, Jane Augusta, b. 1803, Wallasey, Cheshire, England d. 1878, Kensington Registration District, Middlesex (Age 75 years) Marriage 16 Oct 1823 St. Pancras, Middlesex, London, England Family ID F2430 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
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Notes
JOHN CHARLES MASON 1798-1881
John Charles MASON of this parish, bachelor, and Jane Augusta ENSOR of this parish, spinster, a minor, were married by licence at St. Pancras, Middlesex, on 16 October 1823 with consent of James ENSOR her natural and legal father. Witnesses were James ENSOR, A. N. MASON, and James (?) FENOULHET.
(PR)
The 1851 census of 23 Mecklenburgh Square, St. Pancras:
*John C. MASON, head, aged 53, Esquire,Secty Marine Department E.I.C. Home Service, born at Marylebone, Middlesex;
Jane Augusta MASON, wife, aged 47, born at Wallasey, Cheshire;
Augusta Julia MASON, daughter, aged 26, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Elizabeth Emily MASON, daughter, aged 24, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Caroline Eliza MASON, daughter, aged 22, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Harriet Anne MASON, daughter, aged 21, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Isabella Caroline MASON, daughter, aged 20, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Chas. Alex. James MASON, son, aged 18, clerk to E.I.C. Service, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Anne TAYLOR, servant, aged 46, widow, cook, born at Tipton, Staffordshire;
sarah Jane HUGHES, servant, aged 26, unmarried, housemaid, born at Kington, Herefordshire;
Abraham BAXTER, servant, aged 24, unmarried, footman, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex.
(HO107/1495/382/47)
"PURSUANT to a Decree of the High Court of Chan-
cery, made in a cause John Charles MASON, plaintiff,
against Thomas Abbott TIBBITTS and others, defendants,
the creditors and incumbrancers on the real estate of Emma
ENSOR, formerly of Fortess-terrace, Kentish Town, in the
county of Middlesex, and late of Leamington Priors, in the
county of Warwick, Widow, who died in or about the
month of March, 1855, are, by their Solicitors, on or
before: the 7th day of November next, to come in and
prove their debts or claims, at the chambers of the Master
of the Rolls, in the Rolls-yard, Chancery-lane, Middlesex,
or in default thereof they will be peremptorily excluded
from the benefit of the said Decree. Saturdaj, the 15th day
of November, 1856, at twelve o'clock at noon, at the said
chambers, is appointed for hearing and adjudicating upon
the claims.— Dated this 7th day of August, 1856.
(London Gazette Issue 21912 page 2795)
The 1861 census of 23 Mecklenburgh Square:
*John C. MASON, head, aged 63, secretary, India Office Marine Department, born in Middlesex;
Jane A. MASON, wife, aged 57, born at Wallasey, Cheshire;
Elizabeth MASON, daughter, aged 35, no occupation, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Caroline MASON, daughter, aged 32, no occupation, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Hariett MASON, daughter, aged 31, no occupation, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Isabella MASON, daughter, aged 30, no occupation, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Mary Ann WEAVEL, servant, aged 21, unmarried, domestic servant, born at Kennington, Surrey;
Georgiana SHAW, servant, aged 24, unmarried, domestic servant, born at Edinburgh, Scotland;
Emma L. CUBITT, servant, aged 22, unmarried, domestic servant, born at Woolwich, Kent.
(RG9/106/6/7)
The 1871 census of 12 Pembridge Gdns, Kensington, Middlesex:
*John C. MASON, head, aged 73, Secretary, Marine Dept., India Office retired, born at St. Ann's, Soho;
Jane A. MASON, wife, aged 67, born at Wallasey, Cheshire;
Elizabeth E. MASON, daughter, aged 45, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Caroline E. MASON, daughter, aged 42, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Harriet A. MASON, daughter, aged 41, born at St. Pancras, Middlesex;
Mary GRIFFIN, servant, aged 47, unmarried, cook, born at Norwich, Norfolk;
Martha LAPSHED, servant, aged 24, unmarried, parlourmaid, born at Stansted, Esex;
Emma TIMBERS, servant, aged 24, unmarried, housemaid, born at Sall, Norfolk.
(RG10/36/16/24)
From the 1881 census of 12 Pembridge Gardens, Kensington, Middlesex:
*John Charles MASON, head, aged 83, widower, retired pensioner, born in Soho, Middlesex.
(RG11/28/117/61)
The death of John Charles MASON aged 83 was registered in 1881. He died at 12 Pembridge Gardens, Bayswater, London, on 21 December 1881.
(GRO December Q 1881 Kensington 1a 103)
(Wikipedia)
"John Charles MASON Esq.
18 January. The Will of John Charles MASON formerly of the India Office Westminster but late of 12 Pembridge-gardens Bayswater both in the County of Middlesex Equire who died 21 December 1881 at 12 Pembridge-gardens was proved at the Principal Registry by Charles Alexander James Mason of 3 Gloucester-crescent Hyde Park in the said County the Son and Edward Walter WILLIAMSON of 17 Westbourne-terrace-road Bayswater Equires and Elizabeth Emily MASON of 12 Pembridge-gardens Spinster the Daughter the Executors.
Personal Estate £18,452 5s."
(National Probate Calendar 1882)
"John Charles MASON (1798– 1881), British East India Company servant, marine secretary to the Indian government (home establishment).
MASON, born in London in March 1798, was the only son of Alexander Way MASON, chief clerk in the secretary's office of the East India Company's home service, and one of the founders and editors of the 'East India Register' in 1803. His grandfather, Charles MASON, served with distinction in the expedition to Guadeloupe in 1758– 9, and with the allied army in Germany in 1762 and in 1793– 6.
John Charles was educated at Monsieur de la Pierre's commercial school in Hackney and at Lord Weymouth's grammar school at Warminster. For three years he served in the office of Dunn, Wordsworth, & Dunn, solicitors, 32 Threadneedle Street, tillll in April 1817 he received an appointment in the secretary's office at the East India House on the ground of his father's services— a unique episode in the history of the company's patronage. From 1817 to 1837 he was almost wholly employed upon confidential duties under the committee of secrecy— namely, in 1823 in negotiating a treaty with the government of the Netherlands for the cession of the settlement in the Straits of Malacca to the Dutch; in 1829 in arranging the secret signals for the East India Company's ships; in 1833 in negotiating for the renewal of the company's charter; and in 1834 in the parliamentary inquiry upon matters connected with China. He compiled in 1825– 6 'An Analysis of the Constitution of the EasEast India Company, and of the Laws passed by Parliament for the Government of their Affairs at Home and Abroad.' In 1837 he was made secretary of the newly created marine branch of the secretary's office; under his management the Indian navy was g greatly improved, the coasts of India were surveyed, and in 1857, on the breaking out of the mutiny, he arranged for the transport of fifty thousand troops to India with great expedition. In September 1858, upon the transfer of the government of India from the company to the crown, he retired from the service, but in January 1859 he was recalled and became secretary of the marine and transport department at the East India House, Leadenhall Street, and afterwards at the India office, Whitehall. The evidence he furnished to the select committees in 1860, 1861, and 1865 on the transport of troops to India led to his being appointed in 1865 the member to represent the government of India on the committee on the Indian overland troop transport service. In accordance with that committee's report of 1867, the Crocodile, Euphrates, Jumna, Malabar, and Serapis were constructed as troop-ships to convey troops to and from India.
In April 1867 he retired from the service, and died at 12 Pembridge Gardens, Bayswater, London, 21 Dec. 1881.
By his wife Jane Augusta, daughter of James ENSOR, who died in 1878, he left five daughters and an only son, Charles Alexander James MASON, born in 1832, who served in the Indian (home) service from 1848, became assistant secretary in the military department, and retired in 1882."
(Wikipedia and Dictionary of National Biography)
(revised 12.10.2011)