John Mason Martin (January 20, 1837 – June 16, 1898) was an American politician and lawyer. A Democrat, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama. He served from 1885 to 1887, representing the state's 6th district.
John Mason Martin | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Martin by Charles Milton Bell, taken between 1873 and 1890 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887 | |
| Preceded by | Goldsmith W. Hewitt |
| Succeeded by | John H. Bankhead |
| President pro tempore of the Alabama Senate | |
| In office 1873–1876 | |
| Member of the Alabama Senate | |
| In office 1871–1876 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Mason Martin January 20, 1837 Athens, Alabama, US |
| Died | June 16, 1898 (aged 61) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relations | John Y. Mason (uncle) Elisha Wolsey Peck (father-in-law) Samuel Minturn Peck (brother-in-law) |
| Parent | Joshua L. Martin (father) |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer |
| Signature |  |
Early life and education
editMartin was born on January 20, 1837, in Athens, Alabama,[1][2] though The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography states he was born in Athens, Pennsylvania. He was the son of politician Joshua L. Martin and Mary G. (née Mason) Martin.[3] His uncle – his mother's brother – was politician John Y. Mason.[3]
Educated at common schools, Martin studied under Henry Tutwiler. He furthered his education at the University of Alabama and Centre College, graduating from the latter in 1856.[2] He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta.[4] He later received honorary degrees from Auburn University, Centre College, the Central University of Kentucky, Georgetown University, and the University of Alabama.[2] He read law under Elisha Wolsey Peck.[2]
Career
editIn 1858, Martin was admitted to the bar, after which he began practicing law in Tuscaloosa.[1] By 1860, he owned three slaves.[2][5][6] During the American Civil War, he was an officer in the Confederate States Army.[3] From 1875 to 1886, he was a professor of jurisprudence at the University of Alabama.[1]
Martin was a Democrat. From 1871 to 1876, he was a member of the Alabama Senate, serving as its president pro tempore from 1873 to 1876. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1885, to March 3, 1887,[1] representing Alabama's 6th district.[5] While serving, he was a member of the Committees on Elections and on Patents.[2]
Martin was not nominated for re-election,[1] with his defeat stemming from his support of a tariff.[2] He supported a bill regulating work hours.[7] He was a delegate to the 1856 Democratic National Convention.[5] Politically, he was liberal.[8]
Personal life and death
editAfter serving in Congress, Martin continued practicing law in Birmingham.[1] In 1857, he married Lucy Peck, the daughter of judge Elisha Peck; they had seven children together, four surviving to adulthood.[2] He died on June 16, 1898, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, in Tuscaloosa.[1]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Martin, John Mason". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Martin, John Mason". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. J. T. White. 1901. p. 92.
- ↑ The Phi Gamma Delta. 1911. p. 455.
- 1 2 3 "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Martin, J." politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ "More than 1,800 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Evans, Curtis J. (December 12, 2014). The Conquest of Labor: Daniel Pratt and Southern Industrialization. LSU Press. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-8071-5682-7.
- ↑ "MARTIN, John Mason (1837-1898)". www.voteview.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.