By Spessard Stone
Joseph Payne, a pioneer settler of Hamilton County, Florida, was a farmer and justice of the peace.
Joseph John Payne, son of George and Sarah (Smith) Payne, was born 1813, Laurens County, Georgia. Joseph married about 1832 Martha Henrietta Smith, born 1815, Georgia, daughter of William & Mary (Ellis) Smith. The Joseph Payne family was listed in the 1850 census of Laurens County.
In the early 1850s, the Paynes moved to Jasper, Hamilton County, Florida. Joseph was a farmer and also served as a justice of the peace in 1855 and 1858. In the 1860 census of Hamilton County, dated June 18, Jasper, the Payne family Joseph, Henrietta, Ira, Joseph, Martha, Margaret, Frances, Lucinda, Dorinda, William D., Susan, were enumerated in household 139. Joseph had real estate of $2,500 and personal property of $5,520. Neighbors included: Robert and Zilla Hendry, George and Mary Jennings, William and Caroline Sutton, Augustus and Virginia Polhill, James and Mary Ann Farnell.
Joseph Payne died in 1861. Inventory of the property of the estate of Joseph Payne of October 29, 1861, Jasper, Hamilton County, Florida included in part: 1 cart harness and chains, 1 gin and gin barrel, 1 old wagon and cart, 1 bay mare, 1 grey horse, 1 corn mill, 1 drawing knife, 36 head stock cattle, 33 head stock hogs, 230 bushels of corn, 900 pounds of pork, 320 acres of land. Henrietta Payne died August 29, 1870.
Issue of Joseph and Henrietta Payne:
1. Ira Payne, born 1833. He enlisted as a private on July 28, 1862 in Georgia in the Confederate Army and was captured at Marietta, Ga. on June 18, 1864 and died of measles at Camp Morton, Indiana on July 20, 1864. He apparently never married.
2. Sarah Payne, born November 16, 1835; died on December 20, 1897, buried New Zion Cemetery, Ona, Fla.; married on November 12, 1857 in Hamilton Co. John Wright Hendry, son of Robert Hendry and Zilla Ann (Moody) Hendry.
3. Robert T. Payne, born 1839. He enlisted as a private April 28, 1862 in the Confederate Army in Georgia, was appointed corporal, captured at Franklin, Tennessee on December 17, 1864, paroled at Camp Chase, Ohio on May 2, 1865, was received at Vicksburg, Mississippi via New Orleans, Louisiana for exchange May 12, 1865. He went west after release.
4. Joseph John Payne, Jr., born 1841. He enlisted as a private on May 27, 1861 in Georgia in the Confederate Army, was wounded at Salem Church, Virginia on May 3, 1863 and died from his wounds on May 6, 1863. He apparently never married.
5. Mary Jane Payne, born June 3, 1842; died May 3, 1899, buried New Zion Cemetery, Ona, Fla.; married on December 22, 1858 in Hamilton Co. James Madison Hendry, son of Robert Hendry and Zilla Ann (Moody) Hendry.
6. Martha Payne, born 1844.
7. Margaret Payne, born 1846.
8. Elizabeth Frances Payne, born December 1848; died on April 11, 1913, buried New Zion Cemetery, Ona, Fla.; married on March 8, 1868 in Polk Co., Fla. James H. Rich.
9. Lucinda Payne, born March 1850; died 1919, buried Joshua Creek Cemetery, Arcadia, Fla.; married on January 7, 1868 in Manateee Co., Fla. Alderman Carlton, son of Daniel Wilson Carlton and Sallie Ann (Murphy) Carlton.
10. Dorinda Payne, born April 11, 1853; died on April 4, 1926, buried Fort Green Methodist Cemetery, Fort Green, Fla.; married on January 7, 1869 in Polk Co., Fla. Benjamin Alderman, son of Matthew and Caroline (Sloan) Alderman.
11. William Daniel Payne, born March 22, 1854, died June 14, 1931; married on May 16, 1875 Martha Almittie Rich.
12. Susan Payne, born 1858.
References: Jean B. Burton of Wauchula, Fla.; Sharon Lokken of Lakeland, Fla.; Maxwell C. Roberts of Zephryhills, Fla.; Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865; Cora Hinton, A Brief History of Hamilton County, Florida, 1976; estate record of Joseph Payne.
This is adapted from the author's profile in South Florida Pioneers 43/44, (Jan./Apr. 1985).
February 13, 2001 & October 17, 2001 & May 6, 2002, midi = "Lady Mary," arranged by Taylor's Traditional Tunes.