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.

Early life and education

Martin 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

In 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

After 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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Martin, John Mason". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Martin, John Mason". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. J. T. White. 1901. p. 92.
  4. ↑ The Phi Gamma Delta. 1911. p. 455.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Martin, J." politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ "MARTIN, John Mason (1837-1898)". www.voteview.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mason_Martin