Editing James Mason (section)

==Early life, family and education==
Mason was born on 15 May 1909 in [[Huddersfield]], in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]], the youngest of three sons of John Mason and Mabel Hattersley, daughter of Joseph Shaw Gaunt.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31418|isbn = 978-0-19-861412-8|doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/31418|year = 2004|title = Mason, James Neville (1909–1984), actor}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NO+BUYER+FOR+MASON+POSTER.-a0243339964| title=No Buyer for Mason Poster| date=2 December 2010| publisher=The Free Library| access-date=7 March 2018}}</ref> A wealthy wool merchant like his father, John Mason travelled often on business, mainly in France and Belgium. Mabel—who was "uncommonly well-educated" and had lived in London to study and begin work as an artist before returning to [[Yorkshire]] to care for her father—was "attentive and loving" in raising her sons.<ref>James Mason: A Bio-Bibliography, Kevin Sweeney, Greenwood Press, 1999, p. 3</ref> The Masons lived in a house in its own grounds on Croft House Lane in [[Marsh, Huddersfield|Marsh]]. (It was replaced in the mid-1970s by flats called Arncliffe Court.) A small residential development opposite where the house once stood is now called James Mason Court.

Mason was educated at [[Marlborough College]] and took a [[British undergraduate degree classification|first]] in architecture at [[Peterhouse, Cambridge]], where he became involved in [[Repertory theatre|stock theatre companies]] in his spare time. He had no formal acting training, and initially embarked upon it for fun.