Greenwood & Sarah Payne
The sons of
Greenwood and Sarah Payne
It
would be difficult for me to explain the lives of Greenwood and Sarah Payne’s
children without mention of the research that others have done on this family
and how they tie into other Paynes in the area. I in no way wish to discredit
the research done by others who have worked equally hard on the Paynes of the
Davidson County, Tennessee area in the 1785-1815 time period. I feel that with
the input of other researchers and their thoughts, conclusions and access to records
that others may not have had, that we now have new conclusions for
consideration. That is by no means to say that the following is in any way a
true depiction of the involved families or that it is error free. Logic tells
us that in any undertaking that concern events that happened over 200 years ago
and can be accurately recounted are nearly impossible.
I
feel it would perhaps aid us to understand the conditions of the late 1700’s.
Of how and why some of our families may
have entered early Tennessee. Maud Carter Clement explains that the government
of Virginia was concerned that the settlement of the western Virginia was not
progressing at a desired pace. Finding that their earlier attempts were not
producing the desired effects it was decided to grant immense areas to men of
influence, with the understanding that they were to bring about their speedy
settlement. These lands were sold to the incoming settlers at a neat profit,
and comfortable fortunes were amassed. As early as 1738 some of the first
settlers to western Virginia were the Quakers of Chester County, Pennsylvania.[1]
In later years one of these families from Chester County, PA. was that of
Mathew and Mary Payne. They came to the Russell County, VA. area where they
meet up with John Donelson, Lewis Green and Andrew Davis at probably Fort
Blakemore and then were among the first settlers in the area of what later was
to become Nashville, Tennessee. It was during the journey from Russell County,
VA. to Davidson County that Lewis Green executed his nuncupative will.[2]
This Lewis Green is found in the Pittsylvania County Tithe list in 1767 and it
was his daughter Sarah Green that married Josiah Payne the son of Mathew and
Mary Payne of Chester Co. PA. With the appearance of Lewis Green in the 1767 Tithe
list of Pittsylvania County, I feel that he was known to the John Payne family
and also to John Donelson. It was on the Tithe list of John Donelson that we
also find the names of John and Mildred Payne’s sons. John Payne was the son of
Thomas and Catherine Lydford Payne of Middlesex County, VA. and he died in 1807
in Robertson County Tennessee.
It
is easy to see how some of the erroneous conclusions were reached in regards to
the Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne family and that of the John and Mildred
Payne family. John Donelson and Lewis Green, are two names that were acquainted
with both the Mathew Payne and John Payne families. Both Matthew and John Payne
had sons named Josiah and their birthdays were very near one another. Both
these Josiahs were at least, known to John Donelson. Therein lie the facts that
have caused so much confusion for those trying to research these two families
in Davidson County.
I
must digress for a moment and mention another Josiah Payne appears in the
records of Davidson County in this time period. It is the Josiah Payne who
received several land grants in 1785 and 1793 and by one DAR applicant said to
be the son of Josiah Payne who died 1785 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. The
Josiah Payne who died in Pittsylvania County, VA. in 1785 was married to Anna
Fleming and was from Goochland County and that distinguished family. This
Josiah Payne d. 1785 did have a son named Josiah as proven by his will.[3]
This Josiah Payne Sr. family lived in the southern part of Pittsylvania County
near the North Carolina line and research indicates they came to Pittsylvania
County after John and Mildred Payne had left in 1778 for Henry County, VA.
Several individuals as the basis for their conclusions have cited the DAR
record. After careful comparison of the records of all the involved counties,
that is Goochland and Pittsylvania Counties of Virginia, Caswell County of
North Carolina and Davidson and surrounding counties in Tennessee I have come
up with a different conclusion. There was only one group of Paynes found in the
records Davidson County in the 1785-1790 time period and it was that of Mathew
Payne and his sons Josiah and George. There is no other Josiah shown on the tax
lists of that time frame. Also the Josiah Payne that is cited in the DAR record
from what I have found, returned to Goochland County to claim his share of his
father’s estate, land that his father inherited. At this time the identity of
the Josiah Payne that received the Military Land Grants from North Carolina and
married Mary Barnett May 4, 1789[4],
is still being researched. (Updated
information; after obtaining copies of these land grants it is found that this
these land grants were to other men and were purchased by a Josiah Payne of
Chester County, Maryland and the grants were not to him. It was he who married
Sarah Green) (It may be noted that this marriage contradicts my earlier
statement that there were no other Payne’s in the area of Nashville 1785-1790.
Obviously there was for this marriage to occur, but this is the only appearance
of any other Payne in that time and he is not found in any later documents for
the area). To me there are 2 possibilities to his identity, one that he was the
brother of Mathew Payne of Chester County, but I would think he would have been
rather old to have had served in the Revolution but perhaps not. The other
possibility for him is that he is the son of John and Mildred Payne of
Pittsylvania County, VA. but that also seems rather remote as this family did
not appear for another 7-8 years. What is known is that the Josiah Payne who
purchased the Military Grant sold 640 acres of it in 1789. It was in 1789 that
a Josiah Payne married a Mary Barnett. Another researcher has found that this
couple lived in Robertson County, Tennessee for time and that they were in
Christian County Kentucky by 1810. His research has found that this Josiah
Payne died in Todd County Kentucky in 1821 where his Will is on file and that
one of his daughters was named “Lettuce” (Letticia) which is a name common to the
family of Thomas and Catherine Payne of Middlesex County, Virginia. So if his
research is correct then there are some parallels that could lead one to
believe that he was in fact the son of John and Mildred Payne. Research
continues on these theories for now. (The problem with this last theory though,
is that Josiah the brother of Greenwood, is shown in several documents in
Caswell County covering the years 1786, 1787, 1794 & 1796.)
The
sons of John and Mildred Payne of Pittsylvania County Virginia and their
migration routes have been well preserved in the records of Pittsylvania and
Henry Counties of Virginia, Caswell County of North Carolina and lastly in
Davidson and Robertson Counties of Tennessee. Greenwood Payne (SR.) who died in
1797 in Davidson County Tennessee is found on the Tithe list of Pittsylvania
County both in his parents home and in other homes serving as Overseer. He
disappears from the records of Pittsylvania County in 1778, the same year that
his siblings and parents relocate in Henry County, VA. He appears in Caswell
County on the 1784 tax lists and is found in various deeds, is mentioned in the
Court records having served as a Constable for a time and as bondsman for his
sister Clary’s marriage to Augustine Cook. One of the names that appear with
Greenwood is that of his brother Josiah Payne who for a time is found with
their parents on the tax lists of Pittsylvania and Henry Counties, VA. and then
on the tax lists of Caswell County, NC. It is from these tax lists of Caswell
County that we know that Greenwood and Josiah were both married men with
families. Careful examination of the records of Caswell County and Davidson
County show that Josiah son of Mathew and Josiah the son of John and Mildred
simultaneously appear in the records of both their respective counties. (One
mentioned in the will of Lewis Green of 1785 while the other is found on the
1784-1786 tax lists of Caswell County.) The reason for Greenwood and his
father’s migration to Davidson-Robertson County is unknown but one must suspect
that John Donelson and Lewis Green somehow influenced their decisions. We know
that Greenwood Payne was in Caswell County in 1796 and that by 1797 he has died
in Davidson County. (One source stated that he drowned in the Cumberland
River.) It is also known that his wife survived him by a few years and that his
estate was settled by his sons Greenwood Jr., John and Reuben. It was also
about this time that Greenwood Payne’s sisters and their husbands along with
his father John Payne and his brother Josiah Payne appear in Robertson
County.
So
in recap it is very easy to see how one researcher became confused in his
conclusions about Josiah Payne the son of John and Mildred and Josiah the son
of Mathew and Mary. They were both born very nearly at the same time and I feel
that when he found a Josiah Payne and Greenwood Payne in the records of Caswell
County. And again with those same names appearing together in Davidson County,
it was an easy mistake to make. Also in the southeast corner of Caswell was another
New Garden Monthly Meeting of Quakers that would tend to add credence to his
conclusions. But with as stated previously, a comparison of the records it is
shown these are two different Josiah Paynes.
After
the death of their father Greenwood Payne Sr., the sons remained in the
Nashville area. For it was on August 5, 1802 that John Payne married Polly
Cain.[5]
Reasons for placing this marriage as being the son of Greenwood Payne Sr. is
the estate sale of 1819 of Andrew Davis wherein a Joseph Payne is named the
nephew of Andrew’s wife.[6]
It is my contention that Andrew Davis married Nancy Cain the sister of Mary
“Polly” Cain that married John Payne. (Also there were no other John Paynes in
the area with the exception of John of Bedford County and the John who was the
grandfather of this John, in Robertson County.) Andrew Davis is another name
that is found with close association with the Mathew and Mary Payne family
dating back to 1784 and Russell County, Virginia. In April of 1803 Reuben Payne
is among those listed as making purchases at the estate sale of Jesse Morris.[7]
We
find that Sarah Payne the widow of Greenwood has died by December 6, 1804[8]
when Greenwood Payne Jr. returned the inventory of Greenwood and Sarah Payne
deceased. When I first saw this document I mistakenly thought that Greenwood
and his wife has died together. On reflection and comparing the dates it has
been determined that in fact the heirs of Greenwood waited until their mother
passed on before settling their parents estate. On December 28, 1804 we find
“we John Payne, Ruben Payne and Greenwood Payne, all of Davidson County” sold
unto William Webb a Negro woman named “Lucy”.[9]
It is my opinion that this slave was the property of Nancy Carter and her
husband Jesse who remained in Caswell County, North Carolina and was given back
to serve her mother in her widowhood and then sold a last time upon the death
of her mother. Earlier in January of 1804 we find that at a sale of the estate
of John Blackamore/Blakemore that Greenwood Payne along with his soon to be
father-in-law Josiah Payne and Henry Bradford the brother-in-law of Josiah,
make purchases.[10] By January
of 1805 we find that Greenwood Payne, administrator, returned the inventory of
the estate sale of Greenwood and Sarah Payne.[11]
It was also at this sale that Sarah Payne the widow of Josiah of PA. and the
sons of Greenwood and Sarah make purchases. This would be a good place to point
out just how confusing these two families can be to do research on. Not only do
we have two Josiah Paynes that were born near the same time but also we have a
plethora of Sarahs. One Sarah Green that married Josiah Payne of PA. then we
have the widow of Greenwood Payne Sr. of Va. and North Carolina. And as we will
see shortly there appears another that married Squire Payne the son of Josiah
and Sarah (Green).
Greenwood
Payne on December 14, 1805 takes as his bride, Martha “Patsey” Payne the
daughter of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne thus uniting two previously
unrelated Payne families.[12]
In February 10, 1806 we see Greenwood Payne selling a Negro man named “Caesar”
to William Webb and this bill of sale was witnessed by Elisha Rice and B.
Gleason.[13] Elisha Rice
was an old neighbor of the John Payne family when they lived on Country Line
Creek in Caswell County, NC. He goes on to become one of the moving forces in
the early Courts of Davidson County. Also with this sale we see that the heirs
of Greenwood and Sarah Payne have disposed of the last of their slaves.
In
April of 1806 the administrators of the estate of Josiah Payne deceased, are
selling his perishable estate.[14]
Among those who made purchases are the names of Squire Payne, George W. Payne,
Mathew Payne, and Joel Payne, these men were all sons and uncles of Josiah of
PA. Among others who participated were Greenwood Payne, Andrew Davis and
Flowers McGregor. Among these men we see Andrew Davis but we find Flowers
McGregor for the first time. Flowers McGregor married a Mary Payne October 5,
1793 in Davidson County[15].
Just who this Mary Payne was is difficult to determine. I do not feel that she
was Josiah and Sarah Payne’s daughter as she is not mentioned in any of Josiah
and Sarah (Green) Payne’s estate documents. Since Flowers was born about 1770
it is doubtful that she was an unknown daughter of Mathew and Mary Payne as she
would have been too young. One possibility is that she could be the Mary
Barnett that married Josiah Payne and that he died before 1793 leaving her a
widow. This would also take care of the Josiah Payne that received the Military
land grants. More research is needed to clear up this puzzle. What is apparent,
is that this Mary Payne was somehow linked to one of the two Payne families in
discussion, and Flowers McGregor.
In
January 24, 1807 William Donelson and James Byrns were appointed to settle the
estate of Greenwood and Sarah Payne with Greenwood Payne, their administrator[16].
The total sum submitted to the Court was $1739.88 ½ a very nice estate for that
period in history. By October 1807 an old friend and neighbor of the John and
Mildred Payne family, Elisha Rice, has died and Greenwood Payne and John Payne
Jr. were among those listed as owing money to his estate.[17]
(The depiction of this John Payne Jr. was quite likely to distinguish him from
the older John Payne of Bedford County, Virginia, another family of Paynes that
was unrelated to either Mathew or Greenwood Payne’s family and lived in western
Sumner County.)
On
October 18, 1810 Reuben the last son of Greenwood and Sarah Payne, marries
Cinderilla Hudson and his brother Greenwood was the bondsman.[18]
On March 7, 1811 William Donelson held an estate settlement sale for Josiah
Payne deceased.[19] By November
10, 1813 Reuben Payne, William Donelson, Stephan Cantrell Jr., Paul Dismukes
and Edward Saunders were appointed to divide the estate of Josiah Payne
deceased among his heirs. The heirs drew by lot the land that was divided into
8 parcels. William Payne drew the 1st lot, Zachariah Payne drew the 2nd
lot, George W. Payne drew the 3rd lot, Greenwood Payne drew the 4th
lot, Minerva Payne drew the 5th lot, Squire Payne drew the 6th
lot, Ann Pillow drew the 7th
lot, and Spencer Payne drew the 8th lot.[20]
To me this last document is one of those rare documents that help us to
determine family relationships. With the exception of William and Greenwood
Payne the other males mentioned were sons of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne.
William Payne was born c 1777 and he married Elizabeth Payne another daughter
of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne. Greenwood Payne married Martha Payne another
daughter of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne so these two men were representing
the interests of their wives share of the estate. The relationship and
parentage of William Payne has not been proven at this time. Some feel that he
was a cousin of Elizabeth but just how we do not know.
On
August 27, 1813, just prior to the division of Josiah Payne’s estate, the
inventory of the estate sale of his son George W. Payne was made by Flowers
McGregor administrator. Among those listed as buyers at the sale were Sarah
Payne wife of Squire, and Greenwood Payne.[21]
In just a few months we find that Sarah (Green) Payne has died and that Flowers
McGregor submitted her estate inventory on November 11, 1814.[22]
And then 4 days later on November 15, 1814 the estate sale of Sarah (Green) Payne that was held by Flowers
McGregor, was submitted to the Court[23]. Among those making purchases were Greenwood
Payne, Ruben Payne, Flowers McGregor and Sally Payne the wife of Squire Payne.
On May 26, 1815 Reuben Payne and William Blakemore with other jurors were
appointed to lay off 1/3 of the estate of John Beck for his widow.[24]
Then on August 22, 1815 the account and sale of Josiah Payne deceased was
presented to the Court by Flowers McGregor.[25]
Those making purchases were, Sarah Payne who bought a slave for Spencer Z.
Payne and another for Minerva Payne. Greenwood Payne and Squire Payne also
purchase a slave apiece. As one looks at this last transaction we realize
several things, one being that it was over 10 years ago that Josiah Payne had
died. Another is that this document was presented to the Court over a year
after the death of Sarah (Green) Payne. What we again see happening is that the
heirs of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne waited until the death of both parents
before submitting the estate division to the Courts. This accounts for the fact
that Sarah (Green) Payne purchased several slaves from her deceased husbands
estate, to protect the interests of their minor children. It is most likely
that no money actually changed hands but that this was a means to explain how
and who received their part of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne’s
estate.
We
find another son of Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne, Squire, has died by
November 18, 1816. For on that date a sale of his estate was held by his widow,
Sally Payne.[26] She and
Greenwood Payne were among those who made purchases. Then on December 23, 1823
the final settlement of Sarah (Green) Payne was submitted by Flowers McGregor.[27]
Payment was made for the guardianship of George W. Payne, which would indicate
that he died shortly after his mother, and was a minor at that time. Also
payments were made to Zachariah Payne, Greenwood Payne (husband of Martha
daughter of Josiah), Gideon Pillow (husband of
Josiah’s daughter Anne), Spencer Payne and William Payne (husband of
Josiah’s daughter Elizabeth). This accounts for all the living children of
Josiah and Sarah (Green) Payne with the exception of Minerva who married Robert
Booth, October 6, 1818[28]
in Wilson County, Tennessee. She lived until 1862, when she died in White County,
Arkansas. There is no explanation as to why she was not mentioned in the final
estate settlement of her parents.
Reuben
and Greenwood Payne remain in the Davidson County area until their deaths. I
find no mention of John Payne their brother who married Mary “Polly” Cain after
1807 when he was mentioned as owing money to the estate of Elisha Rice. It
would seem that he remained in the area, if in fact it was his son Robert that
was referred to by Andrew Davis as the “nephew of my wife, Nancy Davis”. When
and where this John Payne and wife died is unknown. One son of Greenwood and
Sarah remains unidentified. Nancy Payne possibly a daughter of theirs married
Jesse Carter and remained in Caswell County, NC. That leaves one daughter who
we know nothing of. There may have been other children of Greenwood and Sarah
Payne because this accounts only for the children that were counted on the 1786
Caswell County, NC tax lists.
The
sons of Greenwood and Sarah Payne and
their issue are;
Greenwood
Payne Jr. died September 1863 in Nashville. His wife Martha died November 6,
1855 in Nashville. They are both buried in the Old City Cemetery,
Nashville.
issue
of Greenwood and Martha Payne,
Zachariah, b. 1815 married Elvira
Moore.
Margaret b. 1819 married Jefferson
Cartwright
Greenwood b. 1822 died 1849 in
Nashville.
John Spencer b. 1828 married
Cinderilla __?__
Reuben W. b. May 24, 1830 died
February 10, 1848 in Nashville.
Reuben
Payne died September 18, 1838 buried in Sumner Co. his wife Cinderilla died
November 16, 1877 in Sumner County.
issue
of Reuben and Cinderilla Payne,
Albert G. b. 1811 married Susan
Green.
Reuben Sanders, b. April 23, 1820
married Sarah Lewis.
John Adams, b. September 1, 1825
married Ann Milam.
John
Payne died unknown, married Mary “Polly” Cain.
their
possible issue,
Robert Payne, who was referred to in
the estate of Andrew Davis as being the nephew of my wife Nancy Davis.
William Payne born c 1796 in North Caroline and died 1861 in Sumner
County Tennessee. He married Margaret Brown c 1821. They issued several
children but it is the son “Greenwood” who was most likely named for his
grandfather Greenwood Payne. It should be mentioned here that as of 2004 that I
have not found the name of “Greenwood Payne” associated with any other Payne
family other than the descendants of Greenwood Payne Senior who died in 1797.
Another more compelling clue is the 100% match of the DNA of descendant of
William and Margaret Payne and the DNA of a descendant of Ledford Payne. There
is a solid paper trail for the descendant of Ledford Payne to his father
Philemon Payne and on to his grandparents, Thomas and Catherine Payne of
Middlesex County, Virginia.
Although we have found no
document that names William as a son of Greenwood and Sarah Payne, I feel that
this is a correct placement for his lineage. William would have only been 1 or
2 years of age when his father died in Davidson County Tennessee. His mother
died just a few years later when he would have been 5-7 years of age. I am of
the opinion that he was taken in by either the family of one of his older
brothers, who were beginning to marry, or possibly that of a sister whom we
cannot identify. We do know that Greenwood and Sarah had daughters but their
names remain unknown to us today.
Issue of William and
Margaret (Brown) Payne all born in Sumner Co. Tn;
Robert Sounders b. 12 October 1823 m. Susan
Gold
Mary b. c. 1827 m R.S. Anderson
Greenwood b. 1831 m. Mary S. __?__
William b. c 1833
Melvina Martha b 22 November 1836 m. William J.
Montgomery
Priscilla b. 25 December 1838 m. Robert Estes
[1] Abbreviated History of Pittsylvania County, VA. by Maud Clement, chapter 3 page 1-2.
[2] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 26.
[3] Pittsylvania County Will Book 11, page 150.
[4] Davidson County Tennessee marriage records.
[5] Davidson County Tennessee marriage records.
[6] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 53.
[7] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 109.
[8] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 126.
[9] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 130.
[10] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 117.
[11] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 128.
[12] Davidson County TN. marriage records.
[13] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 138.
[14] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 139.
[15] Davidson County TN. marriage records.
[16] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 148.
[17] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 152.
[18] Davidson County TN. marriage records.
[19] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 189.
[20] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 217.
[21] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 216.
[22] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 225.
[23] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 228.
[24] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 230.
[25] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 1, page 225.
[26] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 2, page 16.
[27] Davidson County TN. Wills and Inventories, by Helen & Timothy Marsh, Vol 2, page 131.
[28] Wilson County Tennessee marriage records.
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