Of this we have said something in our mention of the Rev. Mr.
Campbell. In the following communication from my brother,
Bishop Payne, of Africa, further notice of it will be found, together
with interesting accounts of his own family. One of these at my
first visit to Pope's Creek Church promised one hundred dollars
for its repairs,—a large sum for those times.
"In the summer of 1833, after leaving Williamsburg, I visited a great-uncle,
Captain William Payne, a venerable old gentleman, (grandfather
of Richard Payne, of Warrenton,) residing near Warrenton. He was
dressed in short pants, had served in the Revolution, and was a fine specimen
of the old Virginia gentleman. Finding me interested in the history
of our family, he took down from his library a copy of Smith's History of
Virginia, and in the index showed me the names of our ancestors to whom
King James gave patents of land in Virginia. They were Sir William
Payne, John Payne, and Richard or Thomas, I forget which. Sir William,
he said, never came to America, but the other two brothers did. One of
these brothers, as I learned from him, and his daughter,—my cousin,—Mrs.
Scott, of Fredericksburg, settled in the country about Lynchburg, and
from him descended Mrs. Madin, (Polly Payne.) The other—John Payne
—settled between the Potomac and Rappahannock, probably in or near that
which was to be the great city Leedstown. My grandfather, John
Payne, whom you saw, I think died when I was six or seven years old,
but I recollect him distinctly as dressed in the old style, like Uncle William.
His residence was at the old family-stead called, when I knew it,
the Red House. It is immediately in the rear of Bunker's Hill, (Henry
Taylor's place,) and three miles from Leedstown. His estates—subsequently
divided between my father and his brothers, Daniel, George, and
daughter Elizabeth—were on the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, and
partly in Richmond county. My third great-uncle, Richard, whom I remember
well, settled in Culpepper, and his descendants, (except one son,
William,—Episcopalian,—who married old Parson Woodville's daughter,
and removed to Columbus, Mississippi,) Methodists, are now to be found
in Culpepper county.
"When in Alexandria, Mr. Dana showed me in the vestry-books of
Christ Church the name of William Payne associated with George Washington;
and one of the cross-streets in Alexandria, near the head of King,
I noticed, still bears the name of `Payne Street' Learning that this family
emigrated to the West, when in Lexington I made inquiries about them,
and soon found multitudes of most respectable people in and about Lexington
and Frankfort bearing this name. They are Presbyterians. Mr.
Berkeley, the Episcopal minister, subsequently introduced me to Dr.
Payne, of Lexington, who said at once, `We are doubtless the same family,'
and he and all his relatives about there were descended from Washington's
contemporary and associate, William Payne, of Alexandria. He told me
with a spirit of too much self-complacency—as I told him—that this was
the same William Payne who knocked down General Washington in Alexandria
for insulting him. But he replied quickly, "Oh, no! he was right.
For General Washington the next day sent him an apology, instead of a
challenge as his friends had anticipated."
"Of the ecclesiastical and theological views of my father and grandfather
I know but little. I think you told me that the latter gave you proof
that he clung to `the old Church' and eschewed all others. I am inclined
to think, from circumstances which I can remember, that my father was
like-minded. I found among his books `The Theological Repertory,' with
whose history you are familiar; and one of the few things that I can remember
about him well was his holding long and late discussions with the
Methodist ministers who in 1823-25 began to preach in the neighbourhood
and occasionally to visit my father's house. My father was a teetotaller,
very thoughtful,—I will hope, a religious man, though of this I cannot be
certain. My mother, however, from my earliest recollection I know was,
but she did not make a profession of religion until after my father's death,
nor until my eldest sister (now dead) made a profession among the Methodists.
This circumstance leads me to think my father's influence prevented
my mother from uniting herself before with the Methodists,—though the
only representative of the Episcopal Church in the neighbourhood was our
poor friend, Mr. Clapham.
"The last baptism by a Church parson in our family was that of brother
William. I infer it was one of the old sort, as his godfather was any thing
but a pious man, and thought his duty to his godson quite performed after
he had given him a yoke of oxen.
"I have said I was born in the White Oak Swamps about one mile from
the Potomac. This was my father's residence for two or three years after
his marriage, being convenient to his estate on the Potomac. But it proved
so unhealthy that he purchased one of the old glebes in the Pine Forest,
on the ridge between the Potomac and Rappahannock, seven miles from
the former, and three from the nearest point of the latter. Here eight
of us were reared in most remarkable health. From this glebe to the
Old Round Hill Church, or rather its remains,—for it was demolished
before my earliest recollection,—there was in my childhood one of the most
beautiful roads I ever saw. It led for several miles in a direction perfectly
straight, under an avenue of beautiful oaks. It was called `the Parson's
Road,' and was no doubt the road by which the parsons travelled to the
Round Hill Church. By-the-way, have you ever ascertained or written
the history of this said Round Hill Church? It was situated on a beautiful
and commanding knoll, near old Machodoc Meeting-House, which
superseded it, and in which Mr. Clapham was wont to officiate before his
removal from King George to Loudon. But, as I have said, nothing of
it but some fragments remained at the time of my earliest visits to the
neighbourhood.
"I have given you all that occurs to me of my family history of interest.
Should you wish to make further inquiries, I would refer you to my
cousin, Mrs. Scott, of Fredericksburg, and through Cousin Richard Payne,
of Warrenton, to his father and Mrs. Scott's eldest brother, Daniel Payne,
who resides in the neighbourhood of Warrenton. He is called the Frenchman
of our family, and should you ever meet with him you will find
him very agreeable and fond of talking, and on no subject more than that
about which I have been writing."
