Benjamin Payne (1810 - 1876)

Born 5 Apr 1810 in Smith, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 Apr 1876 at age 66 in Sangamon, Illinois, United States

Biography

Benjamin was born in 1810 to Collison Payne and Anna Briggs.

Benjamin was married to Rebecca Fry. They had five children.

He passed away in 1876.

A history of Boone County, Missouri tells of two brothers, James and Benjamin Payne, meeting in Columbia, MO in 1873 after last seeing each other in 1818 when James Payne moved from Smith Co. TN to Boone Co., MO with his grandfather, John Payne, (Sr.). Benjamin stayed in TN, traded South until 1851 when he moved with his family to Sangamon, IL. Each had thought the other dead.

"Trading south" means buying horses and mules in Tennessee and Kentucky then herding them south to Alabama and Mississippi to sell to cotton planters who were known to work their animals hard.

History of Boone County, Missouri, by William Switzler, 1882, page 515-516

THE LOST FOUND — THE DEAD ALIVE.

James and Benjamin Payne, two brothers, together with their father and mother, brothers and sisters, were born and lived in Smith County, Tennessee, about fifty miles east of Nashville. James was born in 1800, and Benjamin in 1810, and therefore in 1873 were seventy-three and sixty-three years old respectively. In 1818, when James was in his eighteenth and Benjamin in his eighth year, James left home with his grandfather, John Payne, to come to Missouri, leaving Benjamin and the balance of the family in Smith County. James settled with his grandfather in this county, where he has remained ever since. Benjamin grew up to manhood, remained in Tennessee and traded South till 1851, twenty-two years ago, when he moved with his family to Sangamon County, Illinois, fifteen miles from Springfield, where he now lives.

Until sometime during 1873 each supposed the other dead many long years ago; but not long after by the merest accident the Illinois brother heard that James was still living. He could not at first credit it, but investigations by letter and otherwise convinced him the lost was found and the dead had come to life.

Therefore they arranged it by correspondence to meet each other in Columbia on Wednesday, May 21st, 1873, on the arrival of the morning train, Benjamin coming by rail from Illinois and James on horseback from his farm in this neighborhood, and the appointment was strictly fulfilled. Thus these two brothers, now old men, met each other after a separation of more than fifty years and a most affecting, joyful meeting it was, such as the ills and trials of earth do not often vouchsafe to brothers on earth.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDZ-FMZ : 12 April 2016), Benjamin Pane, Smith county, Smith, Tennessee, United States; citing family 370, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXHK-2QZ : 13 December 2017), Benjamin Payne, 1860.