Mason, Thomas (fl. 1730)

Journal of Thomas Mason's travels in Holland, Flanders and northern France, with copies of letters to members of his family. Included are an account of a visit to Leiden (f. 8), and an impression of contemporary Dutch medicine (f. 15r.). Mason was accompanied by Mr Lee, a barrister of Lincoln's Inn, Mr Thayer, 'a gentleman of the Temple', and Charles Baldwin. Their journey, a 'long vacation ramble', ended in London at the Temple, where Mason may have been a lawyer or law student. The journal is a fair copy, written by Mason for his mother. The front cover is inscribed 'This book was given me by the will of my mother 1738. TM'.

July-October 1730

92 ff. (60-92 blank) 1 volume: 210 × 170 mm. Contemporary vellum binding.

Hodgson's 18-20 Nov. 1931, part of lot 468.

He may perhaps be identified as Thomas Mason of the Inner Temple, called to the Bar in 1735 (R A Roberts, ed., A calendar of the Inner Temple records, Vol. 4 (London, 1933), pp. 307-308).

Database description transcribed from Richard Palmer, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine: Western Manuscripts 5120-6244 (London: The Wellcome Library for the History & Understanding of Medicine, 1999).