MASON, Thomas Monck (only son of William Monck Mason of Stillorgan, co. Wicklow). b. 1803; ed. at Trin. coll. Dublin; spent several years abroad studying music; one of the best flute players of the day; lessee of Her Majesty’s theatre, London 1832, introduced some noted artistes, lost upwards of £60,000 in one year; author of many operatic works; equerry to the Duke of Sussex some time; on 7 Nov. 1836 he ascended from Vauxhall Gardens in the Nassau balloon, reaching Weilberg in Nassau in 17 hours; he wrote an account of this trip in French and English, and is mentioned in the poem called The monster balloon in the Ingoldsby legends; author of Creation by the immediate agency of God 1845; Work and the word, or dealings of God 1862. d. about 16 Sep. 1889. T. M. Mason’s Aeronautica, or sketches of aerostation (1838), portrait.
MASON, William Hayley. Author of Goodwood: its house, park and grounds: with a catalogue raisonné of the pictures in the gallery of His Grace the Duke of Richmond 1839. d. East street, Chichester 24 Jany. 1864.
MASON, William Monck (eld. son of Henry Monck Mason, colonel R.E.) b. Dublin 7 Sep. 1775; land waiter for exports in revenue department Dublin 1796 to 1826 when granted pension on abolition of office; travelled on the continent 1826–48; his large library sold by auction at Sotheby’s 1852 and his literary collections and historical and philological compositions 1858; author of The history and antiquities of the collegiate and cathedral church of St. Patrick near Dublin from its foundation in 1190 to the year 1819, 1819; began a vol. on Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, but work was not printed; published Suggestions relative to the project of a survey and valuation of Ireland 1825. d. Coombe lodge, Victoria road, Surbiton, Surrey 6 March 1859.
MASON, William Shaw. b. Ireland 1774; ed. at Trin. coll. Dublin, B.A. 1796; appointed by patent with two others in 1805 remembrancer or receiver of the first-fruits and twentieth parts in Ireland; secretary to comrs. for public records in Ireland, Sep. 1810; author of A statistical account or parochial survey of Ireland drawn up from the communications of the clergy 3 vols. 1814–9; Survey, valuation and census of the barony of Portnahinch in Queen’s county 1821; Bibliotheca Hibernicana. Dublin 1823, being a catalogue of Irish books collected by him for Sir R. Peel. d. Camden st. Dublin 11 March 1853.
MASQUERIER, John James. b. Chelsea, Oct. 1778; learnt drawing at Vincent’s school near the Tuileries, Paris, and at Royal academy, London 1789–93; pupil of John Hoffner, R.A., in London, completed many of his pictures; painted more than 400 portraits 1795–1823; exhibited his only original composition in oil ‘The incredulity of St. Thomas’ 1796, it was the altar piece of the chapel in Duke st. Westminster; exhibited the first genuine likeness of Napoleon Bonaparte in Piccadilly 1801, which brought him in £1000; retired 1823; resided at Brighton 1823 to death. d. 10 Western cottages, Western road, Brighton 13 March 1855. G.M. xliii 540 (1855).
MASSEREENE, John Foster-Skeffington, 10 Viscount (eld. child of Thomas Henry Foster, 2 viscount Ferrard d. 18 Jany. 1843, by lady Harriet Skeffington viscountess Massereene and baroness Loughneagh, she d. 2 Jany. 1831). b. Dublin 30 Nov. 1812; succeeded his mother as 10 viscount Massereene 2 Jany. 1831; assumed additional name of Skeffington 1843; lieut.-col. of Louth militia Nov. 1847 to Dec. 1854; K.P. 3 July 1851; author of O’Sullivan the bandit chief, a legend of Killarney, in six cantos 1844; Church Melodies 1847; The love of God, a poem 1858, new ed. 1860. d. from effects of a fall at Antrim castle, co. Antrim 28 April 1863.
MASSEY, James. b. 1824; pugilist weighing 8 st. 4 lbs.; beat Patsey Clay £50 a side, 20 May 1845; beat E. Horridge £50 a side, 16 June 1846; beaten by Young Reid £50 a side, 27 Oct. 1846; beat James Welsh £100 a side, 89 rounds in 135 minutes at Long Reach 19 Jany. 1847; beat George Hall alias Norley £100 a side, 68 rounds in 105 minutes at Greenhithe 13 April 1847; beaten by James Edwards £100 a side, 52 rounds in 194 minutes 26 April 1848; fought a drawn battle with Jeremiah Noon £100 a side, 88 rounds in 178 minutes 19 Nov. 1850; beat James Welsh £100 a side, 28 July 1851; beat M’Nulty £100 a side 6 April 1852 and again £100 a side, 76 rounds in 154 minutes 4 Sep. 1854; fought a drawn battle with Wm. Hayes £100 a side 17 June 1856; won 13 out of 17 fights. d. 1864. Illust. sporting news 9 Jany. 1864 p. 385, portrait.
MASSEY, Richard. Organist of chapel royal, Whitehall, April 1837 to 1877. d. 63 Priory grove, South Lambeth 21 April 1883 aged 84.
MASSEY, Rose M. (dau. of Joseph T. Massey of Hamilton square, Birkenhead, Cheshire). b. 1850; first appeared in London at Haymarket theatre 1 July 1867 as Mary Meredith in Our American Cousin; played Mrs. Cadderby in W. S. Gilbert’s farce Allow me to explain, at Prince of Wales’s 4 Nov. 1867; appeared at George Wood’s Museum, New York 1 Feb. 1869 as Earl Darnley in burlesque of The field of the cloth of gold; played in Canada, then at Wallack’s theatre, New York as the Boy Blue in pantomime of Old Mother Hubbard 7 June 1869; played Fatima in Byron’s pantomime of Blue Beard at Covent Garden 26 Dec. 1871; played Mrs. Cumberlidge in C. Scott’s Tears idle tears, at Globe theatre, London 4 Dec. 1872, Queen Oriana in Albery’s comedy Oriana at Globe 15 Feb. 1873, Ethel Carlingford in Byron’s comedy Fine Feathers at Globe 26 April 1873, Pauline in Lady of Lyons at Globe 16 June 1873; acted in Rip Van Winkle at Covent Garden theatre 14 Feb. 1874; went to U.S. of America with H. J. Montagu the jeune premier 1874. d. New York 23 July 1883.
MASSEY, William Nathaniel (son of Wm. Massey). b. 1809; barrister I.T. 26 Jany. 1844; recorder of Portsmouth, Jany. 1852 to Aug. 1855; M.P. for Newport, Isle of Wight 1852–7; M.P. for Salford 1857–65; contested Liverpool 19 Nov. 1868; M.P. for Tiverton 1872 to death; under secretary for home department Aug. 1855 to Feb. 1858; chairman of committees of house of commons 1859–65; financial member of government of India 1863–8; ordinary member of council of governor general of India 20 Feb. 1865; P.C. 4 Feb. 1865; author of Common sense versus common law 1850; History of England under George III. 4 vols. 1855–63, new ed. 1865–6. d. 71 Chester sq. London 25 Oct. 1881. bur. Kensal Green cemet. I.L.N. xlvi 237 (1865), portrait.