Richard Chichester Mason, M.D.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Chichester_Mason

Richard Chichester Mason (7 May 1793–22 July 1869) was a prominent physician practicing in Alexandria, Virginia. Mason was a grandson of George Mason and his wife Ann Eilbeck.

Early life and education

Richard Chichester Mason was born at Newington in Fairfax County, Virginia on 7 May 1793. Mason was the son of Thomson Mason (1759–1820) and his wife Sarah McCarty Chichester.

Mason attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and graduated with his Doctor of Medicine in 1816. Mason's doctoral thesis was on menstruation.

Marriage and children

Mason married Lucy Bolling Randolph, daughter of Colonel Robert Randolph, on 14 May 1816 at Eastern View in Fauquier County, Virginia. He and Lucy had sixteen children including:

Robert Thomson Mason (12 May 1818–1890)

William Fitzhugh Mason (4 April 1821–12 July 1822)
Randolph Fitzhugh Mason (1 March 1823–9 August 1862)
Lucius Meade Mason (24 May 1824–6 January 1845)
Eliza Carter Mason (24 May 1824–12 December 1832)
Baynton Turner Mason (8 January 1826–27 June 1857)
Richard Randolph Mason (19 April 1827–18 March 1886)
Lucy Bolling Mason (8 September 1831–15 December 1832)
Eliza Lucy Mason (13 December 1832–8 July 1862)
Beverley Randolph Mason (1 September 1834–22 April 1910)
Eva Mary Anna Mason Heth (17 January 1836–19 November 1915)
John Stevens Mason (18 August 1839–3 April 1918)
Landon Randolph Mason (31 December 1841–21 June 1923)
William Pinckney Mason (10 January 1843–16 December 1923)
Upon the death of his grandfather George Mason on 7 October 1792, Mason's father Thomson inherited a portion of the Gunston Hall estate. Around 1817, Mason's father Thomson divided the property into two plantations: Dogue Run farm for Mason and Hunting Creek farm for Mason's brother Thomson Francis Mason (1785–1838). Mason and his family began living on his Dogue Creek plantation in the mansion he built, Okeley Manor, sometime before 1834.

Later life

While practicing medicine in Alexandria, Mason also served as a justice of the peace in the community. Mason retired from his practice at the age of 45 to work his farm at Okeley Manor. He later served with the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War in Richmond. Mason returned home at age 72 to find the mansion at Okeley, used during the war as a hospital, burned to the ground to prevent the spread of smallpox. Mason also discovered that a negro and an Irishman were in possession of the property. By 1880, Mason's son Beverley had recovered the property and was residing in a house he built on the hill.

Mason died on 22 July 1869 at Rutledge in Fauquier County, Virginia at age 76.

Relations

Richard Chichester Mason was a grandson of George Mason (1725–1792); nephew of George Mason V (1753–1796); grandnephew of Thomson Mason (1733–1785); son of Thomson Mason (1759–1820) and Sarah McCarty Chichester Mason; first cousin once removed of Stevens Thomson Mason (1760–1803) and John Thomson Mason (1765–1824); second cousin of Armistead Thomson Mason (1787–1819), John Thomson Mason (1787–1850), and John Thomson Mason, Jr. (1815–1873); first cousin of George Mason VI (1786–1834), Richard Barnes Mason (1797–1850), and James Murray Mason (1798–1871); second cousin once removed of Stevens Thomson Mason (1811–1843); and first cousin thrice removed of Charles O'Conor Goolrick.