And He Was A What?

[sigma]

This was taken from a gravestone, What in English would he have been.

"John Reynolds als Mason gent. One of the Bayllffes peares of this townew & libties buried. 17 Oct 1655"

[dotty.]

'john reynolds alias mason gentleman, one of the bailiff and peers of this town and liberty' I think would be a fair version.

He was a gentleman therefore it must be his alternative surname rather than an occupational Mason I would think. He must have held an official office within the town and probably was a pivotal part of the Manoral Court system in that particular wapentake/hundred or even a larger area where abouts was he buried?

[sigma]

He was buried at Much Wenlock.
The probate amounted to £53 1s 0d equivalent to £105,000

[dotty.]

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SAL/MuchWenlock/index.html

As he was a bailiff maybe a JP and probably very prominent in the local manor court it is likely you will find plenty of entries in the quarter sessions or manorial records for the borough/wapentake, they will be indexed in the Shropshire CRO

http://www.genguide.co.uk/source/quarter-session-records-criminals-amp-courts/61/

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=166

and particularly here:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/browser/family/page/family_RE.htm