MASON ~ Y-DNA ~ PROJECT

RE:ABRAM MASON B 1778 KENT DE, SON OF ISSAC MASON b1753 & PARTHENA HALL MASON b 1756
    Abram Mason b 1778, the letter writer, was brother to Thomas Mason b 1792 Davidson,TN;  
    Kit 13297 is a descendant of Thomas.
 
Transcript: 
 
Title:  “Letter of an Old Settler”
From: American Historical Magazine
Representing the Chain of American History in the Peabody Normal College
Vol. III.   January, 1898.   No. 1.
 
Devoted Especially to the History of Tennessee and Adjoining States
Published Quarterly by the Peabody Normal College at Nashville, Tenn.
University Press, Nashville, Tenn.
................................................................................
Page 88 of: The American Historical Magazine
 
“Letter of an Old Settler”
 
“The following letter from Mr. Abram Mason of Mason’s Grove, Madison C’y Tenn. to 
his nephew Dr. Jno Henry Currey of this city is full of interesting reminiscences 
of old Mr. Mason’s early life when this now bustling city was then a forest.
 
     MASON’S GROVE, TENNESSEE,  March 27, 1860.
 
Dear Nephew,
 
     After my compliments to you all, and my thanks to you for the book you sent me; 
I will proceed to give you such things as I can recollect about the early settlements 
in Middle Tennessee.
 
     I was born in the State of Delaware, Revet Cy, (sic) in the year 1778.  Father 
moved to Virginia when I was young, and settled in Monongahela (sic) County, on 
Monongahela River.  He stayed there until I was about 12 years of age; when he and 
eighteen of his neighbors, in the Spring of 1790 built a large keel bottomed boat.  
We did not start till (sic) May, we then started down the Monongahela River.  It was 
very troublesome times on the Ohio River.  There were no settlements, from Pittsburgh 
down to the mouth of the Ohio, on the North side of the river, except forts.  General 
St. Clair had one where Cincinnati now stands, and one opposite Louisville.  It was 
very dangerous traveling on the Ohio in those times; the indians (sic Indians) were taking 
boats often on the river.  St. Clair got badly defeated in 1791; he lost nine hundred 
brave men.  We saw the indians crossing the river before us.  We made ready for battle.  
The women and children were placed in the bottom of the boat, and beds placed around 
them.  When we came near to where they were, a gun or two was fired, and they landed 
and took to the cane, and we saw them no more.
 
     We got to the Falls of Ohio in June, and the river had got so low we could not 
get the boat over the falls.  We stayed in Kentucky the balance of the Summer, and 
then tried to get her over, and stuck fast.  The river took another rise and she 
went off, and was lost.
 
     In September 1790, nine families out of the nineteen built perogerrogs (sic 
		pirogues), 
one to each family, and started down the Ohio.  There was not a settlement on either 
side of the river to the mouth of the Cumberland, and none on it, till we got to 
Clarksville, forty miles below Nashville.  If the Indians had met with us, we would 
have been all killed or taken.  We killed some buffaloes, elk, and other game.  Our 
powder gave out before we got up the river, and we got on sufferance, (sic) being 
longer in the way than we expected.  We landed about the first of October, three 
miles below Nashville.  Father bought a small tract of land in Davidson County, on 
Richland Creek, about three miles west of Nashville in the neighbourhood of old 
General Robertson’s.  We heard the guns when the Indians wounded the General and his 
son close by where he lived.  We heard the guns which killed a boy up the same Creek, 
at Johnson’s Ford, where John Bosley now lives.  The Indians were killing and stealing 
horses all around us.  They killed a fine young man at Jonathan Robertson’s.  They 
shot him in the evening.  I went there that night and sat up with them; he died about 
midnight.  The neighbours raised a party , followed them and overtook them at Tennessee 
where they had made their winters hunt.  They killed and took nearly all of them, 
brought back Helen’s scalp and hat, burnt their skins, bears meat, and oil.  I was 
going to school when they came by with the prisoners, with the scalps upon long canes, 
carrying them like colors.  This was in the spring, I think, of 1793.  About this time 
the Indians came in and killed Mr. James Thomson, wife and a daughter; & took another 
prisoner, and a marraid (sic married) lady by the name of Espy; and carried them to the nation 
and kept them sometime.  When they got back, this young Miss Thompson married a Mr. 
Edward Collinsworth, and became the mother of a family.  Her oldest son, James 
Collinsworth, a noted lawyer in Nashville, went to Texas and died there.  A younger 
son became my son in law, and is living close by me now.  The Indians were still 
troublesome, and father was drafted to guard the outside fort.  I went and served his 
tour.  I  hadn’t to go but a mile and a half, we were so near the outside.  I had to go 
to Wm. Cash’s Fort and set at the back of the field and watch while the others worked.  
My orders were, if I saw any Indians, to fire at them and run for the fort; but none 
came while I was there.  This Wm. Cash was a brother in law to General Robertson.  In 
the Spring of 1794, the Indians were still troublesome.  We forted up at Philip Sutes 
fort, only a half mile farther.  We went to the fort as rest,  (sic) and looked for 
father to come to the fort that night; but he went in with his meal, and fed, and 
bellied, and hobbled his horse, thinking to go back the next day, and laid down by 
himself, without any gun to defend himself.  Mother was uneasy at his not coming to the 
fort, and we started early next morning, and when within two hundred yards of the cabin, 
heard father calling his horse.  I was walking in front carrying a gun, mother and nine 
children behind.  A little brother looked out one side in a thick bunch of priv...... 
   
     [Here the letter ends abruptly.  The remaining portion has probably been lost.]
 -----------

Abram Mason,
 
" the friends is all well and Hill eldist daughter was married a fue weeks a go to Dr. 
Watkins of Mason Grove." on the right side of the page," I am in my 82 year and well 
except the rumiatism in my sholder & hoping these times will find you all well." 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


**(Revet Cy is actually Kent County.  The upper case 'K' is often depicted with a closed 
top.  Another researcher wrote to say she had seen the letter previously, and it was 
indeed Kent Cy DE. 

 

Caveat: Our ancestors do not share any documented connection to the family of Isaac Mason/Ann
    Petway of Surry Co./Sussex Co. Virginia.
Clarification presented by: Pat Mason Harris

Several internet Gedcoms link Isaac Mason of Sussex VA with Isaac Mason who went to TN
in 1790 from Monongalia Co VA, now WV.

There is no evidence that the two men were the same.

Isaac Mason of Sussex VA was married to Ann Petway. He died in 1757. His will mentioned
son John and daughter Mary Ann. Another daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1758 after the
death of her father.

Naomi Hailey in her book "The Masons" said Isaac Mason, a supposed son, was not mentioned
because he was the oldest son and heir. In fact, John Mason was Christened 22 December 1752
(R. Bolling Batte Papers - Library of Virginia) . Our Isaac Mason by the Bible entry was
born 31 Dec 1753.

In addition, here is the will abstract of Robert Petway who died in January, 1757. He names
his two grandchildren John Mason, and Mary Ann Mason. Again, Elizabeth has not been born yet.
He names his daughter Ann Mason and the will is witnessed by Isaac Mason of Sussex VA who dies
later in that same year.


Abstract of Sussex County Will Book A:65
Written Jan 7, 1757 ... Proved Jan 21, 1757 by ROBERT PETTWAY Jr.

Last Will & Testament of ROBERT PETTWAY
Daughter ANN MASON, wife of ISAAC MASON
Granddaughter MARY ANN MASON
Grandson JOHN MASON, son of ISAAC MASON

Daughter SELAH (Celia) LEE, wife of PETER LEE

Son ROBERT PETTWAY, all of my land

WILLIAM PETTWAY Jr., son of EDWARD PETTWAY, 25 acres of land bounded by BENJAMIN WEATHERS ...
MASSENBURG ... RANY's branch

Executors: Son ROBERT PETTWAY ... ISAAC MASON ... PETER LEE

Witnesses: WILLIAM WILLEY ... SAMUEL PEETE ... EDWARD PETTWAY

There is no mention of an Isaac Mason as a son/grandson in the will of the father or grandfather.
 
From John Bennett Boddie:
“Births, Deaths and Sponsors 1717-1778 from the Albemarle Parish
Register of Surry and Sussex Counties, Virginia,” page 93, may help you:

Isaac and Anne Mason had two children listed here:
John, b 12/21/1752, & Elizabeth on 6/6/1758.This is the daughter b. after her father's death.

In a message dated 6/30/2004 12:03:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, CCA44 writes:

Isaac Mason, son of Capt. John Mason, will dated 20 Oct 1757/16 Dec 1757.
Wife Ann. Son John. Daughter Mary Ann.
"Should my wife be pregnant with a son he to have 280 acres being the rest of my land."
Migration
Delaware colony >Monongalia Co. Virginia >Nashville, Tennessee
Contact
Pat Harris -- PatCLARE@aol.com


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