Sampson Mason >Lancashire, England >Massachusetts

My 7th great grandfather was Sampson Mason born about 1624 in Lancashire, England, possibly Bolton; died Sept 1676 in Rehoboth, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. He married Mary Butterworth and had 13 children. I am descended from their son Joseph Mason and his second wife, Lydia Bowen. Would love to exchange information and Ideas from other descendants of Sampson Mason.

Tags: Butterworth, England, Lancashire, Mason, Massachusetts, Rehoboth, Sampson

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Katherine (Kathy) W. Clifton on March 19, 2010 at 12:25pm

Hi;

I was very interested in your note--Thomas Clifton appears to have been related to Rev. Richard Clifton, the Separatist minister of Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England.

Can you tell me how you think Thomas Clifton is related to this Richard Clifton-I have been reading about him and he only had three sons and none named Richard.

My husband is also related through the Obadiah Bowen line. His ancestor is Lydia Bowen who married Joseph Mason.

I am especially interested in the Richard Clifton and his connection to Thomas Clifton.

Thanks for any help at all.

Kathy Clifton
husband Lassister Neale Clifton

Permalink Reply by Anthony Gagliani on June 7, 2011 at 5:22am

The Clifton family was settled at Out Rawcliffe, Lancashire in the late Fifteenth Century. Jams Clifton, son of Richard Clifton and Alice Butler had a son James Clifton who was twice married, first to Alice Lawrence of Ashton Hall, Lancashire, and secondly to Elizabeth (MNU). Son through James' first marriage married Margaret Butler of Bewsey, Lancashire. These were the parents of William Clifton of Westby, Lancashire.

The given name Thomas enters the family in 1517 through the marriage of William Clifton of Westby, Lancashire to Isabell Thornborough of Hampsfield, Lancashire. Their son, Thomas Clifton of Westby, Lancashire was twice married. One possibility is that our Thomas Clifton was a descendant through his second marriage to Alice Anderton of Euxton, Lancashire.

Richard Clifton of Scrooby is said to have come from a branch of the Clifton family that had been settled at Nottinghamshire as lords of the marors of Wilford and Clifton since the Eleventh Century with ties to the Lancashire branch.

Richard Clifton's ancestral line is below:

The descent of the Clifton estate was as follows:

Sir Gervase de Clifton, knight (d 1324), m Amflicia, daughter of Sir William Sampson of Epperstone
[His son Sir Gervase de Clifton, knight (d c.1316), m Alicia, daughter of Sir Robert de Rabacy of Glapton, Notts, pre-deceased him]
His grandson Sir Robert de Clifton, knight (1297-1327), m Emma, daughter of Sir William de Moton
His son Sir Gervase de Clifton, knight (1313-1391), m (1) Margaret, daughter of Sir Robert de Pierrepont, (2) Isabella, possibly daughter of Harbord alias Finch, and widow of William Scot of Brabourne, Kent
[His son Sir Robert de Clifton (d before 1391), m Agnes, daughter of Lord Grey de Wilton, pre-deceased him]
His grandson Sir John de Clifton, knight banneret (d 1403), m Catherine, daughter of Sir John de Cressy of Hodsock
His son Sir Gervase Clifton, knight (d 1453), m Isabella, daughter of Sir Robert de Francis of Foremark, Derbyshire
His son Sir Robert Clifton, knight (d 1478), m Alice, daughter of John Booth of Barton, Lancashire
His son Sir Gervase Clifton, knight (d 1491), m (1) Alice, widow of Richard Thurland, daughter of Thomas Neville of Rolleston, (2) Agnes, widow of Sir Walter Griffith, daughter of Sir Robert Constable of Flamborough, Yorkshire
His son Sir Gervase Clifton, knight (d 1508), m (1) Agnes, daughter of Sir Walter Griffith of Flamborough, Yorkshire, (2) Joanna, widow of Sir Nicholas Byron, daughter of John de Bussy of Houghton, Lincolnshire
His son Robert Clifton (d 1518), m (1) Alice, daughter of Sir Simon Digby, (2) Anne, daughter of Henry, 10th Lord de Clifford (Richard was a grandson of the above Robert Clifton)

Presumably, Thomas Clifton either came through Nottinghamshire as a separatist from Lancashire or was a native. I suspect the former, but the latter is also a possibility.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Coleman on June 8, 2011 at 2:34pm

Thanks so much for this fantastic information. The Cliftons were very interesting people!

Ruby Coleman

Permalink Reply by David Casserly on October 21, 2011 at 7:46am

I am a historian from Bolton and while researching a book on my home town during the civil wars of the 1640's I came across Sampson Mason and his family. The book is called Massacre; the storming of Bolton, and is about the battle Sampson fought in and in which his father and uncle were killed.

I did get access to the parish records and have that information for Sampson and all his brothers and sisters but its not in the book. If you are interested I can repost.

Regards

David

Permalink Reply by Ruby Coleman on November 18, 2011 at 5:12pm

Sorry for the delay in responding to your post about the Massacre. I would love to have the information on Sampson and all his brothers and sisters. Can you post it? Also, can you share more information on the book Massacre ... author, publisher, date? Thanks so much. Ruby

Permalink Reply by David Casserly on November 19, 2011 at 1:24pm

Hi Ruby
As I said it was while researching my book I came across Sampson Mason. The book is called “Massacre; the storming of Bolton”, author David Casserly, Amberley Publishing, 2011, ISBN 9781848689763. You should be able to get a copy in the States and it covers in detail the battle in which Sampson’s father and uncle were killed and the events in Bolton during the civil wars of the 1640 - 1650s as well as a brief history of the town.

The records below are from the parish records for the church of St Peter, Bolton-le-Moors (which is the old name for Bolton in use in the 1600s). The Mason Family were definitely from Bolton as there were 18 townships and five chapels in the parish at the time and they were said to be of Bolton, not any of the other townships. The records are fragmentary for some years but the marriage of Sampson’s grandparents is recorded

3 Oct 1592 Alexander Mason & Anne Shawe

Unfortunately it doesn’t mention Sampson’s parents, Robert and his wife Hannah Elizabeth but it does mention all his siblings. Please note I took these direct from the parish records and spellings were not consistent at the time. The records are

30 Jun 1622 Hanna Masonn of Boulton d. of Robert
6 Dec 1624 Sampson Masson de Boulton f. Robert
6 Jan 1627 Sara Masonn of Bolton d. of Robert
1 Feb 1628 Marye Masonn of Bolton d. of Robert
8 Feb 1634 Elizabeth Masonn d. of Robert
de Magna Boltonn
29 Jan 1637 Thomas Mason s. of Robert de Magna Boltonn

Hope this helps with your research and if you do manage to get a copy of my book I would be interested in what you think.

Regards

David

Permalink Reply by Deborah A. Carder Mayes on February 22, 2012 at 1:38am

I just joined the group. I descedn from Sampson's son, Pelatiah.

Permalink Reply by Dorothy Phelps on November 17, 2012 at 11:53pm

I'm starting to think that my Mason may belong to this Mason line.

I am at a brickwall with my Mason...my 3rd great grandfather was James Mason who married his 3rd wife, my 3rd grandmother Margaret Randall (Allen) (Clark) (Mason). I cannot seem to find his parents with any firm certainty. He was born in MA and I believe he died somewhere in the Brunswick, Medina, Ohio area. I've been able to find most of his descendants with his 3 wives and yet still cannot find his parents' names with absolute certainty. He was born 1773/4 in MA Rehoboth OR Adams MA, died in Medina Co, 1850. Was his father James Mason or Philips Mason?? If he was Philips, it looks like it goes all the way to Sampson Mason.....