John Mason — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Served as Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony.
Led colonial forces in the Mystic Massacre during the Pequot War (1637).
Served as a soldier and commander in the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) in the Netherlands.
Commanded the first American naval task force in 1633, pursuing pirate Dixie Bull.
Elected to the Massachusetts General Court in 1634.
Planned and supervised the construction of fortifications on Castle Island in Boston Harbor.

Biography

John Mason (1600–1672) was an English-born settler, soldier, commander, and Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony. Born in Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire, England, he was baptized on October 5, 1600. Mason enlisted in the military in 1624 and served in the sectarian Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) in the Netherlands, gaining significant tactical military experience.