▁Henry ▁bre wed ▁be er ▁and ▁sold ▁mal ting ▁bar ley ▁to ▁bre wers , ▁and ▁his ▁grand father ▁George ▁Mason ▁" g rew ▁first - class ▁mal ting ▁bar ley ▁and ▁re ared ▁Le ic ester ▁l amb s ". ▁On ▁the ▁basis ▁that ▁" W ood ru ff " ▁struck ▁him ▁as ▁" a ▁pre tt ier , ▁a ▁more ▁unusual , ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁rom antic ▁name ▁than ▁plain ▁ordinary ▁Mason ", ▁he ▁" dec ided ▁very ▁early ▁to ▁be ▁Philip ▁Wood ru ff ▁Mason ▁and ▁was ▁known ▁by ▁that ▁name ▁until ▁( he ) ▁was ▁th ir teen ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁birth ▁certificate ." ▁ ▁Mason ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Sed berg h ▁School ▁and ▁Bal li ol ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁taking ▁a ▁first - class ▁degree ▁in ▁Modern ▁Gre ats . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁volume ▁of ▁aut obi ography , ▁A ▁Sh aft ▁of ▁Sun light : ▁mem ories ▁of ▁a ▁varied ▁life ▁( De utsch , ▁), ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁a ▁sequ el , ▁A ▁Thread ▁of ▁Sil k . ▁ ▁Career ▁with ▁the ▁Indian ▁Civil ▁Service ▁Mason ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Indian ▁Civil ▁Service ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁under - secret ary ▁in ▁the ▁War ▁Department ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁in ▁that ▁year ▁being ▁appointed ▁Deput y ▁Commission er ▁at ▁Gar h wal ▁and