The Writer is indebted to Paul McClure of Millerstown for some of the information relating, to this prominent Sonora family.  Kegley’s Virginia Frontier is a source of some history of the Masons of early day Southwestern Virginia, of some generations before -William Mason, son of John Mason Jr., of Botetourt County, Virginia, came to Green County, Kentucky, to settle and where he died in 1802. John Mason Jr. is recorded as being a Revolutionary War cavalryman

"The name, John Mason, is associated with many different places on the Southwest (Virginia) frontier. It is found in the eastern part of Old Brunswick, in Bedford (county) and in different parts of the Roanoke Valley. We have learned that John Mason, of the Roanoke, lived on Back Creek where he died, and that he had played an active part in the affairs of the community. His will made. on October 12, 1760, and proved on August 18, 1761, shows the approximate date of his death. He gave his son, John, 270 acres of land on Mason's Creek; to son, James, 150 acres on Back Creek; to son, William, 250 acres on Grassy Hill Branch; to youngest son, Joseph, the home place, 135 acres. Mother, Leah, -was to have 25 pounds (English money?) in cash; daughter, Jannet, a natural pacing mare; daughter, Mary, a 'dapple gray mare'; and daughter, Margaret a black mare. The remainder of the estate was to be divided among all. He named W@ Boyd, of the North Fork of Otter River and his brother-in-law, James McKeachey, as executors. James McKeachey qualified with sureties, . . . His appraisement was made August 1761.... There were 21 horses (7 mares with colts and a gray stallion), 10 cows and calves, 1 wagon and gears, valued at 10 pounds, 2 saddles, 2 books, 2 Bibles, an old book, a pair of silver buckles, a parcel of lumber and numerous household articles. It is probable that he brought the wagon with him when he came into the country twenty years earlier."

That John Mason was in the Augusta County section of Virginia at a very early date is evidenced by court records. In November, 1746, the Court designated two roads through the Roanoke Valley, the one on the North Fork, the other on the South Branch.... On the South Branch James Campbell and Mark Evans were overseers, with ... John Mason ... and others.

Numerous other land records are found as to John Mason (Sr.) and his sons. (In those early days a man's wealth was often calculated by the amount of land he owned.) When John Mason came to Back Creek of Roanoke in 1750, his neighbors were his brother-in-law, James, McKeachey and Robert Poage. The Back Creek neighborhood was an extension of the Great Lick settlement: "Although Joseph Mason inherited a good tract of land in. his father's home place, he is credited on the property list of 1783, with only one horse and one cow. James came an extensive land owner and occupied many important positions. He was an ensign in Captain Neely’s Company, Deputy Sheriff, Lieutenant in Captain Richardson's Company in 1789, Captain of Militia in 1790 Sheriff in 1795, Justice in 1797, Overseer of the Poor in 1798, and Coroner in 1800, soon after which time he died. William was interested enough in his land to get an inclusive survey and increase his holdings on' Grassy Creek." In 1783, Joseph Mason was listed in Captain John Neely’s Company.

Botetourt County, Virginia, was formed in 1770, from a part of Augusta County and members of the Mason family were then living as residents of the new county Botetourt was soon divided into other counties. John Mason Jr., is referred to "of Botetourt County Virginia."

William Mason, son of the above John Mason Jr. married Sarah McKeachey (Likely a cousin as grandmother was Leah McKeachey) They were married in Virginia some years before the Revolution, as their daughter, Jane Mason, is recorded as marrying John McCandless in Virginia, in 1785, in Greenbrier County of that state. (There was a John McCandless listed in Captain Robert McClenachan's Company of Volunteers Botetourt County at the Battle of Point Pleasant in October, 1774.)

In addition to daughter Jane Mason, William and Sarah McKeachey Mason were parents of twelve other children: James Mason, who married in Green County Kentucky, Sarah Feland July 28, 1787 (Green County was established in 1792); Frances Mason, who married Andrew Feland: Elizabeth Mason, who married Thomas Love; Richard Mason, who married in Green County March 26, 1793, Anna Davis; Nancy Mason who married in Green County October 11, 1794, Joseph Hutchison, a son of Reverend Samuel Byron Hutchison and ________ (Porterfield) Hutchison; Lettice Mason, who married in Lincoln County, Kentucky October 3, 1796, Reuben Danban; Margaret Mason, who married in Adair County, Kentucky, Davis Chamberlain; John Mason, the ninth child, and ancestor of the Mason family of Sonora, who married: March 17, 1797, Hannah Hutchison, daughter of David and Hannah (?) Hutchison; Rachel Mason who married in Green County October 29 1798, Asberry Vanderver; Mary (Polly) Mason, who married Nicholas Burks (almost certainly the ancestor of the Millerstown/Upton line of the Burks family); Thomas (or Thompson) Mason who married in Green County July 19,1803, Mary Fair; Hugh Mason, who married in Green County October 27,1812, Frances Reynolds.

The above John Mason and his wife, Hannah Hutchison, were parents of twelve children of whom there are records of two Nancy Mason, born in 1798, who married Jessee Davis, and john Mason Jr. born 1806, died 1855, who was twice married; (1) to Matilda Spourrier, born 1809, by whom he had six children, and (2) to Isabella Marriott, by whom he has a daughter, Isabelle.

The six children of John Mason Jr. and Matilda Spurrier Mason were:

1. W. Thomas Mason born October 17, 1837, died May 12, 1916. His wife Mary _____, born February 27, 1841, died May 15, 1911. They lived at Sonora, had two children; George Hays Mason, born November 11, 1871, died September 10, 1954, married Anna Jeffries, daughter of Thomas Jeffries and his wife Mattie Highbaugh, their daughter, Mary Gertrude Mason was born December 29, 1898, died august 11, 1951; and Edward Brashier Mason, who married Birdie Jefferies, sister of above Anna Jefferies.

2. Joseph j Mason, born 1839, died 1926, twice married (1) ______, married (2) Emily A Perry, born 1838, died 1915. A son born to first marriage was John E Mason, born January 30, 1866, died October 28, 1906, married Nannie E Williams born 1873, died 1958, had a son Joseph C Mason, born 1890, died 1954, unmarried.

3. David Mason, born 1842

4. James Polk Mason, born January 26, 1845, died November 1, 1918, who married Nancy Brashear, born November 22, 1850, died December 15, 1928. Parents of two children David Wilber Mason, born December 21, 1871, died July 30, 1931, married Maude Bland, born April 3, 1881, died December 15, 1913, a daughter of William Henry Bland and Elizabeth (Akers) Bland; Robert Levi Mason born October 30, 1870, died August 12, 1950, married Gertrude Bland (sister of above Maude Bland). She was born December 5, 1883, died May 29, 1954. The Mason brothers were merchants in Sonora for a number of years. Levi Mason was postmaster at on time (1916-1922).  He and his wife, Gertrude Bland Mason were parents of three daughters, Mary Louise Mason, Adrienne Mason, who married L. Hulse Van Hoy, and Maude Bland Mason who married a Mr. Coffey.

5. Martha J. Mason, born 1847

6. Charles Mason, born 1848

Isabelle Mason, born to John Mason Jr., and his second wife, Isabella Marriott, married William Perry; they lived at Sonora. He was a brother of Emily A. Perry who married Joseph J. Mason (above). The William Perry’s had several children, among them being : Ed Perry, who married Anne Orr, they had several children; Mary Emma Perry, born 1886, died 1973, unmarried, lived at Sonora; Rose Perry; John Perry; and Wilbur M. Perry, who married a Miss English.