The John Mason Papers is a collection of correspondence, copies of legal papers, and receipts collected by John Mason, a Washington, D.C., lawyer. Of Mason himself, the papers reveal very little, except that he was involved in the disbursements of estates after their owners had died. The three main estates mentioned in the papers are: 1) that of A.S. Heileman, Mr. Mason's cousin, concerning which the papers contain detailed listings of property and disbursements for the payments of debts; 2) that of Thomas Jennings, who apparently died intestate in England, and who had no English relatives; the papers contain many genealogies and sworn statements by U.S. residents named Jennings who were trying to prove their relationship with Thomas; and 3) that of Richard B. Mason, first military and civil governor of California, concerning which the papers contain copies of Mason's will and other legal papers.
