McCarty, William Mason

William Mason McCarty was born at Cedar Grove Plantation in Fairfax County around 1789. His father was Colonel Daniel McCarty, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and his mother was Sarah Eilbeck Mason, the daughter of George Mason IV of Gunston Hall. William had at least seven siblings. His early education was handled by tutors. He attended the College of William & Mary and obtained a law degree in 1813. He was a practicing lawyer at times after obtaining the degree. 

McCarty served in the Virginia militia at the rank of private under the command of Captain Ball during the War of 1812 from 25 August to 8 September 1814. In the pension application filed by his widow, McCarty is described as being around 5’10’’ “with dark brown hair, gray eyes and a rather dark complexation” at the time of service. 

He married twice. His first marriage was on 24 October 1816 in Loudoun County to Emily Rutger Mason, his first cousin on his mother’s side. They had two children: James Byrd McCarty, a medical doctor, and William Thornton McCarty, a lawyer. Emily died in 1836 in Loudoun County. William Mason McCarty then married Mary Blair Burwell in July 1838 in Richmond, Virginia. They had one son named Daniel William Page McCarty, who was a journalist and a captain in the Confederate Army. 

William Mason McCarty had an accomplished and extensive public life and was a respected political figure. He was a member of the Whig Party and served in the Virginia senate for a total of thirteen sessions as a representative of Loudoun, Fairfax, and Fauquier counties. He first entered politics in 1823 when he was elected to the Virginia state senate. On 27 February 1827 he was appointed to the position of secretary of the Legislative Council of Florida Territory by John Quincy Adams for a term of four years. McCarty also served as provisional governor of the council for a short time in 1827 before returning to his post as secretary in 1828. After resigning as the secretary in June 1829, he returned to Virginia. McCarty was elected to the Virginia state senate in 1830 and was continuously reelected and served in the state senate throughout the decade. He resigned from the state senate to run for election to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Charles F. Mercer from the 26th United States Congress, in which he served from 25 January 1840 and 3 March 1841. He received the nomination for reelection, but ultimately chose not to run.   

McCarty inherited a part of his parents’ large estate. That portion included Cedar Grove, where he resided during his time in Fairfax County. He also owned and leased other properties to tenants. He was a slaveholder and owned between seven and twenty-one enslaved people in the censuses between 1820 and 1860.  

In 1852, McCarty sold Cedar Grove and moved to Richmond. He died on 20 December 1863 and is buried in Shockoe Hill Cemetery in Richmond. In his will, he divided his estate between his widow, Mary, and his sons.  

By Timmia King