Who appointed John Young Mason?

President Martin Van Buren appointed John Young Mason to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1841.

Was John Young Mason appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

John Young Mason was appointed by President Martin Van Buren, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was John Young Mason's confirmation vote?

John Young Mason was confirmed by voice vote on March 2, 1841. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.

Eastern District of Virginia / Appointed 1841 / Served to 1844

John Young Mason

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Appointed by President Martin Van Buren in 1841 and confirmed by voice vote, John Young Mason was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Sources ↓

Lived: 1799–1859
Appointed by: Martin Van Buren, 1841
Confirmed: by voice vote
Education: University of North Carolina 1816
Succeeded: Peter Vivian Daniel
Succeeded by: James Dandridge Halyburton

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
1841	Eastern District of Virginia succeeded Peter Vivian Daniel	Van Buren (D)	Voice vote

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.

Confirmation vote

Voice vote

The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.

Education

Litchfield (Tapping Reeve) Law School
University of North Carolina	A.B.	1816
Read law		1819

Before the bench

Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.

Private practice, Greensville County, Virginia	1819-1821
Private practice, Southampton County, Virginia	1821-1831
State delegate, Virginia	1823-1827
State senator, Virginia	1827-1831
Commonwealth's attorney, Greensville County, Virginia	1827-1831
U.S. representative from Virginia	1831-1837
Private practice, Hicksford (now Emporia), Virginia	1837-1841
Secretary of the Navy	1844-1845, 1846-1849
Attorney General of the United States	1845-1846
Private practice, Richmond, Virginia	1849-1854
Minister plenipotentiary to France, U.S. Department of State	1854-1859

Questions & answers

Who appointed John Young Mason?: President Martin Van Buren appointed John Young Mason to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1841.
Was John Young Mason appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: John Young Mason was appointed by President Martin Van Buren, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was John Young Mason's confirmation vote?: John Young Mason was confirmed by voice vote on March 2, 1841. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was John Young Mason on?: John Young Mason was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Sources

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3 years on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).