A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mason, Francis
MASON, K.C.B. (Rear-Admiral of the Red, 1838. f-p., 24; h-p., 30.)
Sir Francis Mason was born 10 Feb. 1779.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 May, 1793, as A.B., on board the Russell 74, Capts. John Willet Payne and Thos. Larcom, part of the force employed in the actions of 28 and 29 May and 1 June, 1794, and 23 June, 1795. Previously to the latter affair he had been lent to the Jupiter 50, on board which ship his friend Capt. Payne had hoisted a broad pendant, for the purpose of escorting H.S.H. the Princess Caroline of Brunswick from Cuxhaven to England. In the summer of 1796 he removed to the Impétueux 74, commanded at first by Capt. Payne, and next by Capt. Sampson Edwards; and, on 8 July, 1799, at which period he had been for ten months attached, as Master’s Mate, still in the Channel, to the Phaeton 38, Capt. Hon. Robt. Stopford, he was made Lieutenant into the Alecto sloop, Capt. Lennox Thompson, stationed off Lymington. After a servitude of three years in the North Sea, Baltic, Red Sea (where he was much employed in surveying), and East Indies, in the Beaver sloop, Capt. Jones, and Romney 50, Capts. John Lawford and Sir Home Popham, he took up in Nov. 1802 a Commander’s commission, bearing date 29 of the preceding April. On 30 Dec. 1803, Capt. Mason received an appointment to the Rattler sloop, mounting 24 guns; in which vessel he came into very frequent and warm contact with the enemy in the vicinity of Flushing. On one occasion in particular, 16 May, 1804, he united with the Cruizer 18, Capt. John Hancock, and by his conduct gained the highest praise of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, in a gallant attack upon a flotilla of praams, schooners. &c., in all 59 sail, passing along shore from the above place to Ostend.[1] Besides having the whole of her lower masts disabled by shot, and her yards, sails, and rigging much injured, the Rattler in the action sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 10 wounded. On 23 of the ensuing June she received further damage while engaged with her consorts, the Galgo and Inspector, in close conflict with 27 schuyts, whose fire was strengthened by that of several land-batteries and a body of artillery; and in Oct. of the same year she was thrice in action with the enemy’s flotilla at Dieppe, and again, each time, much exposed to the batteries. After having twice visited Newfoundland, and been for a whole winter frozen up in St. John’s Harbour, Capt. Mason, in July, 1806, was superseded from the Rattler, in consequence of his promotion to Post-rank, which had taken place on 22 of the preceding Jan. Being soon appointed to the Daphne 20, he served in that vessel at the capture of Monte Video, and in all the operations which had preceded the evacuation of Spanish America. He afterwards proceeded to the Baltic, where, among other vessels, he took, in Aug. 1807, the Danish national schooner Acertif, pierced for 12 guns, but mounting only 8, and at the same time drove on shore a cutter of 4 guns. Resigning command of the Daphne soon afterwards from ill health, he remained on half-pay until Oct. 1809, in the course of which month he was appointed to the Fisgard 38, part of the force employed at the mouth of the Scheldt, where his conduct obtained him the fullest confidence of Sir Rich. Strachan, the Commander-in-Chief, and induced the latter to intrust him with the bringing off of the rear-guard on the occasion of the evacuation of the Walcheren.[2] Continuing in the Fisgard until paid off in July, 1812, Capt. Mason was for several months Senior officer off the Scheldt, and succeeded at different times in effecting the capture, with the aid of his boats, of a large number of vessels, among which were the Juliana Danish privateer of 6 guns, a schooner of 1 gun, and a French privateer of 2 guns, together with 56 sail of merchantmen. He also destroyed the Ziska Danish privateer of 6 guns and 40 men. In Feb. 1811 he accompanied a squadron under Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke to the Tagus; and, after conveying a Portuguese Amibassador to Revel, he cruized for some time off Cherbourg. While next in command, from 27 March, 1813, until 5 May, 1814, of the President 38, we find him present at the storming of St. Sebastian, and employed on the Cork station. On 4 June, 1815, Capt. Mason was nominated a C.B.; and in Oct. and Nov. 1833 he was successively appointed to the Blanche and Blonde, each of 46 guns. In Feb. 1834 he sailed for Port Royal, Jamaica, with the broad pendant flying of a Commodore of the Second Class. Having landed the Marquis of Sligo and family at that place, he proceeded to South America, where, in the month of July, owing to the death of Sir Mich. Seymour, he assumed the duties of Commander-in-Chief, and hoisted the red pendant; which, on being superseded by Rear-Admiral Sir Graham Eden Hamond, he exchanged, in Feb. 1835, for his former or the blue pendant. He ultimately, in Oct. 1837, returned to England, and in the following month paid the Blonde off. Attaining Flag-rank 28 June, 1838, Rear-Admiral Mason was next, 23 Aug. 1841, appointed second in command on the Mediterranean station, whither, on 8 Oct., he proceeded with his flag in the Impregnable 104. Previously to his departure he was raised, 24 Aug., to the dignity of a K.C.B. On his arrival in the Mediterranean, 31 Oct., Sir Fras. Mason found himself invested with the temporary command of the fleet, consisting of 12 sail of the line, which he retained until the advent, in April, 1842, of Vlce-Admiral Sir Edw. Owen. He returned to England, in consequence of a reduction in the Mediterranean force, in May, 1843; and has since been on half-pay.
Previously to the receipt of his flag. Sir Fras. Mason had been, in 1833 and 1837, nominated extra Naval Aide-de-Camp to his late, and to her present Majesty; and he had likewise, in the year last mentioned, been awarded the Captains’ Good-service Pension. He married, 16 April, 1805, Selina, youngest daughter of Henry, second Viscount Hood, and sister of Lieut.-Col. Fras. Wheler Hood, who was killed in action on the heights of Aire, 2 March, 1814. By that lady, a near connexion of Admiral Sir Graham Eden Hamond, Bart., K.C.B., Sir Francis has had issue twelve children, nine of whom are still living. His eldest son, Charles, a Midshipman R.N., was lost in the Arab sloop of war in Dec. 1823. One of his daughters, Charlotte Susannah, married, 14 April, 1832, Capt. Hood Richards, h-p. 6th Dragoon Guards.