John Finch Mason

PROVIDES MORTGAGE FOR ROBINS GROVE

After his two younger brothers had purchased the Hilfield and Yateley Manor estates in Yateley, John Finch Mason, acting through the Mason family trust, provided a mortgage of £1,250 to the trustees of Jonathan Bosley's estate. This included the house called Robin's Grove.

The mortgage appears to have be an investment for the family trust since Finch Mason had by that date inherited a substantial estate in Hertfortshire called Aldenham Lodge. Aldenham Lodge had been purchased by George Mason, the Great Uncle of the three brothers, in 1772. George was the younger brother of John Mason, who had the house in Bath. The Mason family had owned a smaller estate called Porters for several generations. George inherited Porters but sold it in 1772 and purchased Aldenham Lodge. George died in 1806 and left the estate to his nephew Bryant Mason. He was succeeded by his son John Finch Mason. His only son George Finch Mason, who sold the property to Mr Thomas Part in 1870, died without issue.

The purpose of the mortgage of Robins Grove was to enable the executors of Jonathan Bosley to repay several smaller mortgages taken out by Jonathan Bosley during his lifetime. The practice of private individuals and family trusts providing mortgages was common at that time since there were not yet any building societies, and banks had not entered the mortgage business.

Providing a mortgage for land held from the Lord of the Manor by copy of court roll was quick and easy to arrange. In 1846 the Mason family trust foreclosed on the mortgage for the Robins Grove estate. Title was passed from the executors of Jonathan Bosley to the trust, in order that the trust could sell it on to Henry Browne Mason, personally, for £1,500. When Henry sold it to George Shute seven years later he almost doubled his money.

For a dozen years at the beginning of Victoria's reign the three MASON brothers had owned three of the Yateley's largest mansion houses, together with their extensive estates.

Since George Finch Mason, only son of John Finch Mason died without issue, the only male descendants of Bryant Mason were the sons of John Finch Mason's brothers, George Mason and Henry Brown Mason, both of Yateley, and their brother Thomas. George and Thomas's sons (Walter Finch Mason and Alfred Hammond Mason respectively) both emigrated to Onerahi, New Zealand. Francis Mason, the son of Henry Brown Mason, emigrated to Australia. This left no direct male descendants in England of John Mason (b. ca. 1655 d. 22 Mar 1736) Gentleman of Greenwich. However the family still thrives in both New Zealand and Australia. There are of course males descendants in England of John Finch Mason's daughter Ada Charlotte Frances Mason, notably Lt Commander N D Royds of Fleet, who died comparatively recently. It was Commander Royds who provided much of the material which the Society used to tell the Mason story in its Four Yateley Mansions in its exhibition in 2000.

Revision to text of original exhibition board made 21 Feb 2009 by Peter Tipton on the advice of John Mason of Onerahi, New Zealand. The Society acknowledges with grateful thanks the information and images received from various members of the extended Mason family in New Zealand and Australia.

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