George Mason
OWNER OF YATELEY MANOR
The three Mason brothers purchased their properties in Yateley, financed by their family trust. At a court of the Manor of Crondall held on 6 Mar 1840, the Mason family trust paid £6,500 for a property then owned by Charles Knight of Cannington, Somerset. In 1820 Charles Knight, then described as a tea dealer of Broad Street Buildings, London, had purchased a property called the Manor of Hall Place from Lord Arundell for £5,440.
By 1840 Charles Knight had pulled down the mediæval house and renamed it Yateley Manor, the name still retained by the private school today. The description in the Crondall Manor court book reveals the details:
All that newly built mansion house with the farm house and offices adjoining together with all other the outhouses buildings stables dove houses barns cellars areas vaults gardens yard closes pieces or parcels of arable meadow pasture orchard and wood land thereunto belonging commonly called or known by the name of Yateley Manor farm as well such parts of the said farm as are now in the occupation of Jonathan Bosley as such other parts are now in the possession of the said Charles Knight and which latter comprise the said newly built mansion house court garden or piece of land called Pitson and another close called the Woods with the ponds the scite of which several buildings and all which said several closes pieces or parcels of land hereditaments and premises containing by estimation 190 acres (be the same more or less) and are severally situate lying and being within the Manor of Hall place and parish of Yately aforesaid and part of the Copyhold premises held by the said Charles Knight.
George Mason did not therefore have to expend further amounts on his new Yateley mansion.
After only a year at Oxford University George Mason purchased a commission in the British Army in 1825 at the age of 20. His regiment, the 4th Kings Own Regiment of Foot, was sent to Portugal in 1826 during the dispute over the Portuguese succession. He was promoted Captain in 1828, but resigned his commission in 1838. His full career in the army has still to be researched. There is a mystery has to how and why he acquired the Regimental Colours which used to hang in St Peters Church until they were presented back to the Regiment, only a few decades ago.
Captain George Mason was a leading light in the formation of the Yateley Volunteers, a company of volunteer soldiers which eventually formed part of the Territorial Army.
To follow George Mason's life in Yateley see the pages LOCAL SILK USED FOR ALTAR FRONTAL by Valerie Kerslake
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