William Payne IV (1752 - 1813)

Born 14 Feb 1752 in Fairfax, Fairfax, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 23 Sep 1813 at age 61 in Fairfax, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Bickel [send private message]

Biography

William Payne IV performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

William Payne IV is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A086225.

DAR

PAINE, WILLIAM Ancestor #: A086225

Service: VIRGINIA Rank(s): LIEUTENANT

Birth: 2-14-1751 FAIRFAX CO VIRGINIA

Death: 9-23-1813 FAIRFAX CO VIRGINIA

Service Source: BRUMBAUGH, REV WAR RECS, VA, PP 50, 52, 65

Service Description:

1) FIRST LIEUTENANT, MARINES,

2) ON CRUISER 'AMERICAN CONGRESS'

Excerpt from "The Paynes of Virginia"; https://archive.org/details/paynesofvirginia00payn page 244
Col. William Payne
WILLIAM (s. 2) born 14 Feb 1751/2 in Fairfax County; married (l) Mary Robinson of Princess Anne County 20 July 1777; married (II) Mrs. Brooks; died 23 Sept 1813 in Fairfax County on part of the "Ravensworth" estate.

The following obituary is taken from The Alexandria Gazette, Commercial and Political, of Wednesday 29 Sept 1813 —“Died, at his residence in Fairfax county, on Thursday 23rd inst., in the 62nd year of his age, Colonel William Payne after a lingering illness which he bore with that fortitude that designates the true Christian. The early part of his life was devoted to his country's service, having taken a part in the Revolutionary War soon after its commencement, where he was severely wounded; and after retiring home, he was honored with several important appointments, in the execution of which he gave general satisfaction. In his private capacity, none could complain; he was truly hospitable. He has left a wife and numerous family to bemoan his loss.”

The earliest reference to him is found in a young lady's diary. On the evening of 27 Dec 1771 Miss Sally Cary Fairfax, yet in her "teens" and daughter of Bryan Fairfax, later 8th Lord Fairfax, of "Mount Eagle", near Alexandria, still flushed with the conquests of an evening of dancing and coquetry, mounted to her bed-chamber and wrote among the confidences of her diary—"Miss Molly Payne and Mr. Pierce Bayly, Mr. William Payne, etc. were at the ball." On the following evening appeared the entry—"I won ten shillings of Mr. William Payne at Chequers." "Mr. William Payne" was a youth of nineteen, something of a "beau", I fancy. The silver buttons of his coat and waistcoat, bearing his monogram, are prized possessions of one of his descendants. A few months after this Christmas ball Miss Molly Payne married Mr. Pierce Bayly. Something, too, of the old aristocrat was "Mr. William Payne"; his great niece wrote me that he went to Kentucky to visit his brother Devall Payne, "but remained only a short time as he did not like the democratic ways of the people".

14 March 1776 Journal of Committee of Safety records William Payne, Jr., recommended as Lieutenant of Marines. Eight days later the House of Burgesses at Williamsburg appointed him 1st Lieutenant of Marines under Captain John Allison on the cruiser "American Congress" on the Potomac River. (Calendar of State Papers) The naval service does not seem to have appealed to him, or else a promotion took him ashore. 25 January 1777 John Dalton of Alexandria wrote to Governor Patrick Henry that Captain William Payne lacked only 18 men to complete his company and needed money to advance his recruiting. Mobilization proceeded. The minutes of the Williamsburg Masonic Lodge disclose that on the Feast of St. John the Baptist, 24 June 1777, Major John Allison, Captain Windsor Brown, Captain William Payne, and Lieutenant John Shield, "being transient persons", were entered as apprentices in said Lodge. 1 July 1777 there were present at a meeting of this Lodge, George Gibson, William Brent, Windsor Brown, and William Payne. No further mention is made of William Payne in the minutes of this Lodge. 20 July 1777 he was married. There is a story to the effect that he was wounded in action near Norfolk, was taken to the home of Mr. Robinson for care, there won the heart of his host's daughter Mary, and married her in Fairfax. As there were no military operations in Virginia in 1777, and as young ladies were customarily married at home, a part of this romantic tale may be fiction. It is not improbable that he was on duty with his Company near Norfolk; the presence of the group of officers in Williamsburg suggests service in that quarter. Certainly his attendance at a meeting on July 1st and his marriage on July 20th indicate a slight wound and a speedy courtship. D.A.R. records state that he served as a Captain in the 1st Virginia Regiment under Colonel George Gibson.

1782 on the death of his father he was elected Vestryman of Christ Church, Alexandria. 20 Feb 1784 he was admitted to the Alexandria Masonic Lodge. 1787 he was commissioned Surveyor of Fairfax County by Governor Edmund Randolph, following an examination at William and Mary College. 1789 he bought from Devall Payne land in Loudoun County formerly owned by their father. 1791 William Payne, Gent., was one of the Justices of Fairfax. 18 Sept 1793 at the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone of the national Capitol, conducted by the Alexandria Masonic Lodge, there were present from this Lodge Col. Dennis Ramsay, Col. Charles Simms, Col. Roger West, Col. William Payne, etc. On St. John's Day, 24 June 1784, His Excellency George Washington was admitted as an honorary member of this Lodge, at which meeting Col. William Payne was present. 1794 Charles Alexander declined the office of Sheriff of Fairfax County and recommended Col. William Payne, Gent. Col. Payne's letter to the Governor appears in this Court record; in it he states that he is County Surveyor; that he has no objection to accepting the appointment as Sheriff if there is no impropriety in holding two offices. The Court recommended him for the office, which he received in 1795. In this year his wife died, 1797, he bought from Giles Fitzhugh 25 acres on a branch of Accotink Run, known as "Rock Hill", a part of "Ravensworth”. It was on this land that he died.

The Alexandria "Times and Advertiser" of 7 May 1798 reports a meeting "to take measures to protect our commerce", at which some one said that Colonel Payne was a patriot who had fought through the Revolution and should have influence in the debate. In regard to the title of Colonel which he bore after the Revolution, it may be observed that, like many another soldier, he probably emerged from the War with greatly increased military rank; or it may have been conferred by the Governor; or it may have been conferred as a compliment by his friends. 1798 he served on a committee in charge of building the new Court House in Fairfax. It forms the North wing of the present building.

Col. William Payne was one of General Washington's honorary pallbearers. General Washington was buried at Mount Vernon on 18 Dec 1799. There is a graphic account of the ceremonies written by Tobias Lear. Col. Blackburn walked at the head of the bier, which was borne by four Lieutenants of 106th Virginia Militia, the honorary pallbearers walking on each side of the bier. On the right were Colonels Charles Simms, Dennis Ramsay, and William Payne; on the left were Colonels George Gilpin, Philip Marstellar, and Charles Little; all had been brother Masons and fellow officers of the deceased. Among the "principal mourners" were Rev. Bryan Fairfax, 8th Lord Fairfax, and his son Ferdinando Fairfax. See notes on FAIRFAX. About 1909 a bronze tablet, commemorating the service of these six gentlemen as honorary pallbearers at General Washington's funeral, was placed by the Mount Vernon Chapter D.A.R. on the exterior wall of Christ Church in Alexandria.

1801 Robert Ratcliffe was appointed Deputy Surveyor under Col. William Payne. 1805 the Virginia Assembly appointed Charles Little, William Payne, Richard Bland Lee, Daniel McCarty Chichester, Marmaduke Beckwith, etc. trustees for the town of Providence to be established in Fairfax County. 31 Aug 1809 William Payne's niece Mrs. Kitty Turner specified in her will that she was to be buried at the discretion of her "worthy friend and uncle William Payne". There is a Fauquier County record showing that he was Justice in Fairfax 1810.

There were one or two other Payne families in Fairfax at this time, not related to Col. William Payne. I do not know where they came from. Some of them were Quakers. This fact has produced some doubt as to the identity of a William Payne whose will in Fauquier County dated 19 March 1813 (20 March 1815) names children Polly, William, Elizabeth, James, Thomas, Lewis, Charity, Nancy, and John; his wife Elizabeth and son William were named as executors. While the dates of this will accord with the date of Col. William Payne's death, as taken from an old Bible, from the obituary referred to above, and from a paper written by his grandson, the children named in the will do not fully agree in name with those of Col. Payne's known children. Col. Payne's widow was probably named Elizabeth, as indicated by my notes relating to his daughter Mrs. West. These notes show that he left a will. Notwithstanding these striking suggestions of identity between Col. Payne and the author of this will, they are not accepted as final proof. The Order Book of 1813 is missing. The William Payne of the will was possibly son of Ananias, listed in 1782 Census of Fairfax County. The heirs of this will continued to live in Fairfax and some of their Payne descendants are found there today.

Court records fail to throw any light on the identity of Col. Payne's second wife. No Brooks references are found in Fairfax County The Marriage Bond of William Payne, Jr., and “Miss Mary Robinson", dated 18 July 1777 and issued in Princess Anne County, is on file in the State Library. William Robinson, her brother, was bondsman. She was born 28 January 1757, and died 9 Feb 1795; daughter of Tully Robinson of Princess Anne County whose will dated 9 Feb 1773 (11 March 1773) names wife Mary; sons William, Tully and James; daughters Anne, Mary, Elizabeth, Susannah, Sally, and Peggy—all single. He owned several tracts of land around Lynnhaven and 31 slaves. The will of his son William Robinson, attorney-at-law, dated 1787 (1787) Princess Anne County states that he dies "in perfect philanthropy with all mankind", and names wife Elizabeth, son Tully, and brothers Tully and James. This will implies that his sister Anne married Thomas Claiborne, refers to William Payne as husband of his sister Polly, and provides for his aged mother. Quoting further­—"I leave to the Lawyers their honesty and wish them to avoid quibbling. To the Doctors I leave them to their extravagant charges and wish a reformation. And as to the Clergy, I leave them to their penury, hoping and wishing that they may enjoy a sufficiency of it until they are more active in propagating the Christian Religion."

By his marriage (I) Col. William Payne had 7 children—William R. (1), Mary I. (2), Tully R. (3), Alfred (4), Edmund (5), Eliza (6), and Thomas (7). By his marriage (II) he had no children.

Sources

• The Paynes of Virginia by Brooke Payne, 1937, Published by The William Byrd Press, Inc., Richmond, VA; pages 244-248 https://archive.org/details/paynesofvirginia00payn

Acknowledgments

• Profile created by Kenneth Bickel through the import of Bickel-Ackerman Family Tree.ged on Mar 22, 2019.