John Mason (colonist)

John Mason
8th Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony
In office
1660–1669
Preceded byJohn Winthrop the Younger
Succeeded byWilliam Leete
Personal details
BornOctober 1600
Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire, England
DiedJanuary 30, 1672(1672-01-30) (aged 71)
Norwich, Connecticut Colony, British America
SpouseAnne Peck
Children23
Signature
Nickname"The Major"
Military service
Allegiance England
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Connecticut Colony
Branch/serviceEnglish Army
Massachusetts Bay Militia
Connecticut Militia
RankMajor
Battles/warsSiege of Breda
Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch
Pequot War

John Mason (October 1600 – January 30, 1672) was an English-born settler, soldier, commander and Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony. Mason was best known for leading a group of Puritan settlers and Indian allies on a combined attack on a Pequot Fort in an event known as the Mystic Massacre. The destruction and loss of life he oversaw effectively ended the hegemony of the Pequot tribe in southeast Connecticut.