CAPT. JOHN MEEM PAYNE
Was born in Lynchburg on November 11, 1840, and was educated at
the University of Virginia. From April 17, 1861, to May 4, 1865, he
was in the military service of the Confederate States, entering service as
first lieutenant of Company "C," Irish Battalion, Second Brigade,
Jackson's Division. With this command he was in active service, taking
part in all its engagements until after the battle of Fredericksburg.
He was then appointed a captain in the Ordnance Corps C. S. A., and
stationed first at Wilmington, then at Greensboro, North Carolina,
where he was surrendered with Genl. Johnston's army.
At "Walnut Grove" in Montgomery county, Virginia, on December 2,
1863, he married Elizabeth Allen Langhorne, who was born at "Edge
Hill," Montgomery county, on December 20, 1842. Their children are
six: Archer Langhorne, Robert Spotswood, John Meem, jr., Margaret
Kent and Eliza M. Payne. The genealogy of the families of Capt. Payne
and his wife is thus traced: Capt. Payne is the son of Dr. Robert Spotswood
Payne of Lynchburg, who was the son of Alexander S. Payne and his wife
Charlotte, daughter of Archibald Bryce, who came to Virginia from
Scotland. The wife of Archibald Bryce was Mary, daughter of William
Mitchell, whose wife was Agatha, daughter of Josiah Payne, who came
to Goochland county from England and was the ancestor of Mrs. President
Madison. Alexander S. Payne, grandfather of Capt. Payne, was
the son of Archer Payne, who married Martha Dandridge, a cousin of
Mrs. Genl. Washington, and was the daughter of Nathaniel West Dandridge,
who married Dorothia Spotswood, daughter of Governor
Alexander Spotswood (see Vol. 1, page 39). The father of Nathaniel
West Dandridge was Capt. William Dandridge, who married Unity West,
a descendant of Lord De La Ware. Archer Payne, great grandfather
of Capt. Payne, was the son of John Payne of "White Hall," Goochland
county, who was the eldest son of the above mentioned Josiah
Payne, who was the son of Sir William Payne of Bedfordshire, England.
The mother of Capt. Payne was Frances A. R., daughter of John G.
Meem of Lynchburg, whose parents were Gilbert and Frances (Simvall)
Meem. Her mother was Eliza C., daughter of Andrew Russell, who was
the son of Andrew Russell, whose wife was Margaret Christian,
daughter Col. William Christian and Molly Campbell, an aunt of Genl.
William Campbell of Kings Mountain. The wife of Andrew Russell
first named was Anna, daughter of Edward and Mary (Robinson) McDonald,
and was an aunt of Governor David Campbell (see Vol. 1, page
177).
Elizabeth Allen (Langhorne) Payne is the daughter of John Archer
Langhorne of Montgomery county, who was the son of Col. Maurice
Langhorne, jr., who married Elizabeth Allen of Prince Edward county.
The parents of Col. Maurice Langhorne, jr., were both of the Langhorne
family, the wife bearing the same name before marriage. John Archer
Langhorne married Margaret, daughter of Capt. Jacob Kent of Montgomery
county, who was the son of Joseph and Margaret (McGavock)
Kent of Wythe county. Capt. Jacob Kent's wife was Mary, the daughter
of Abraham and Mildred (Blackburn) Buford, and was a niece of
Capt. Thomas Buford, who was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant
(see Vol. 1, page 323).
