John Mason (diplomat)

Sir John Mason (1503 – 20 April 1566) was an

Origins and education

Mason was born to humble parents in Abingdon in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) in 1503. His father is said to have been a cowherd,^[1] his mother was the sister of a monk at Abingdon Abbey; possibly Thomas Rowland, the last abbot.^[2] Alternatively, there are rumours that Mason was, in fact, the abbot's illegitimate son.^[3]

Whatever his family connection to the boy, Rowland played an important role in his education, sending him to the abbey school, followed by All Souls College, Oxford, where he became a Fellow in 1521, got his B.A. on 8 July 1521, and his M.A. on 21 February 1525.^[4] He was also ordained as an acolyte in 1521.

At Oxford he attracted the attention of

He was appointed Clerk of the Parliaments in July 1550, succeeding William Paget, 1st Baron Paget (to whom he had been deputy since January 1542), although it seems the two shared the office from December 1551.^[5]

He became Chancellor of the University of Oxford for the periods 1552–1556 and 1559–1564.

He was Member of parliament for Reading (UK Parliament constituency) in 1547, and for Hampshire (UK Parliament constituency) on four occasions between 1554 and 1563.^[6][7]

He worked for several

John Mason School, a secondary school in Abingdon, is named after him.

See also

• List of Old Abingdonians

References

External links

• "Mason, Sir John (c.1503–1566)".
  doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18278. (Subscription or UK public library membership
  required.)
•  Pollard, Albert Frederick (1893). "Mason, John (1503-1566)". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 36. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Mason, Sir John". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• "Sir John Mason (1503-1566)". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. 2005.

Government offices
Preceded by William Paget	Clerk of the Privy Council 1543–1545 With: William Honnyng	Succeeded by William Honnyng Thomas Chaloner
Church of England titles
Preceded by Roger Tonge	Dean of Winchester 1549–1554	Succeeded by Edmund Steward
Academic offices
Preceded by Richard Cox	Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1552–1556	Succeeded by Reginald Pole
Preceded by Earl of Arundel	Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1559–1564	Succeeded by Earl of Leicester
Parliament of England
Preceded by William Grey John Marshe	Member of Parliament for Reading 1547 With: John Marshe	Succeeded by John Bourne John Winchcombe
Preceded by Sir Thomas White Nicholas Tichborne	Member of Parliament for Hampshire 1554 (Apr) With: Sir Thomas White	Succeeded by Sir Thomas White John Norton
Preceded by Sir Thomas White John Norton	Member of Parliament for Hampshire 1558–1566 With: Sir Thomas White (1558–1562) William Uvedale (1562–1566)	Succeeded by Sir John Berkeley William Uvedale

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