Pioneer Settlers of Webster (Payne Family)

Pioneer Settlers of Webster
Webster Republican
(22 Sep 1965)
Submitted by Roger B. Stanley
(Anything italicized are my notes)

The name Payne, cometimes (sometimes) spelled Paine, Payn, or Pane, is believed to be of Norman-French origin, Payne, a place in Normandy. Payne is a shortened form o fthe early English name Paynell or Painell mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201 A.D. The name was called Pagan because they refused to be baptised; therefore their offspring were called poor chrishtians, so that the name adhered to the family.

The Payne family is immortalized by the marriage of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Payne, to William Steward of Ely, whose daughter became the mother of Oliver Cromwell, "The Protector". However, when William the Conqueror, came to power in England a large number of this class of citizens followed him and it was at this time the name of Pagan became quite numerous. About this time the habit became prevalent of using sur-names, to indicate the unity or identity of family connections. In Domesday (-1-) See Domesday Book, p. 49) compiled in 1086, the name was uniformly written "Pagan."

The history of the Payne family rightly begins with one of the high barons of William the Conqueror, who as a monk of special favor held land of the King in 16 different counties and whose name was "Pagan." One Hugh De Payen, is credited with the establishment of the Knight Templars, 1118 A.D., during the time of the Crusades.

Nearly 500 years later a great many French Huguenots settled in England and Ireland during the 17 century. Thus we have the Baron of Lovington, whose family name was Payne, a prominent member of the Iresh nobility, seated in the House of Lords.

William Payne arrived early in 1700 from England and settled in Fairfax County, Virginia. His son William settled in Fairfax, Virginia and was a citizen of wealth and active in the political affairs of the county. William the second had a son Devall Payne born January 1, 1764 in Fairfax, Virginia. He married a Miss Brent, December 1, 1785. In 1792 he moved to Macon County, Kentucy. He was a soldier of the War of 1812 and helped to defeat the British at the river Thames.

John Payne, the ancestral father of the Payne family this country (county?) was a native of Carl County, Kentucy. He was twice married. By his first wife he raised a large family whose descendents are probably scattered over a score or more of states. For his second wife he married Miss Mary I. Sanders and to them were born eleven children; seven sons and four daughters. All of these were born in Kentucky before Mr. Payne's removal to Fork Lick.