McMurray Family, Payne Family (Click for Family Tree)

Am I related to Joseph H. Payne? Yes, if you are a descendant of Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Dr. Herbert C. McMurray, or Maude “Midge” (McMurray) Cook. They are the great-grandchildren of Joseph H. Payne. You would also be related if you are a descendant of Cornelia Mary (Payne) Hinckley and her husband, Horace A. Hinckley of Lake County, Illinois. 

Click here to open “Sons & Daughters of Thunder” trailer: https://vimeo.com/380634117

As a part of Black History Month, WPQT, a PBS station in the Quad Cities* will air the program, “Sons & Daughters of Thunder- The Beginning of the End of Slavery in America.” This film is about an event that has been forgotten now but in 1834, it was highly divisive, front page news, incited violence, and a part of the rocky path that led to the Civil War decades later.

Our ancestor, Joseph Hitchcock “J.H.” Payne, was right there in the middle of it all.

The film will be aired tomorrow, Sunday, February 9th, 2020, at 8pm. It is a docudrama, so those with docuphobia can rest at ease, and hopefully enjoy it if they are in the Quad Cities area. The program will be followed by a documentary on Harriet Beecher Stowe from the same producers. Harriet was also there for these events, and was influenced enough by them, along with her travels, to write the novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” This book was a bestseller in its time, and changed the course of our country and our people. Hopefully PBS will pick up these films to air throughout the country, but right now, you can purchase “Sons & Daughters of Thunder” through Amazon or directly from the Fourth Wall Films website. (And let PBS know that you want to see both!) I have not seen these films yet so cannot really say how in depth they go, etc., but the subject matter is so important.

The film profiles the people involved in the Lane Debates that occurred over 18 days in February, 1834. Lane Theological Seminary was a Protestant school in Cincinnati, Ohio, a boom town of about 25,000 people. Although the area was still somewhat a frontier, because Cincinnati was located on the Ohio River, which led to the Mississippi River and down to the Gulf of Mexico, commerce and services for those traveling the river made it one of the largest cities in America at the time. Across the river was Kentucky, a slave state, and many Kentuckians crossed the river to do business in Cincinnati.

Joseph H. Payne, very religiously devout, was a 24 year old student, working toward his Divinity degree at Lane. He had previously attended the Oneida Institute in Whitesboro, New York, and would have met Theodore D. Weld there. Weld was about seven years older than J.H., but the two had many similar ideas. Many Oneida students followed Weld to Lane Theological, as did J.H. Payne. Lyman Beecher, a minister, became the President of Lane, and his daughter , Harriet Beecher (who later married Calvin Stowe), joined him in Cincinnati.

Angelina Grimke, daughter of a Southern slave owner, had left her home in Charleston, South Carolina once old enough to act on her feelings about the immorality of slavery. She married Theodore Weld, so J.H. probably knew her as well. Angelina and her sister Sarah Moore Grimke had become abolitionists, Quakers, and suffragists; they were prohibited from ever returning to the South due to their stance on slavery. Frederick Douglas, the well-known former slave who became a powerful orator against slavery, was another of the cast of abolitionists you will see in this film.

While rhetoric and debate were always important in American higher education, the Lane Debates went too far for the acceptable topics of public debate- the subject was just to controversial. Violence and the loss of business from pro-slavery residents of Kentucky and those traveling the river could be consequences of the persuasive student debates, and the Seminary wanted to avoid being seen as a part of that political point of view. So the administrators of Lane prohibited the students from holding public debates on slavery. The students would not back down, despite the threat of being dismissed from the Seminary. The charismatic Theodore Weld brokered a deal with the financially ailing Oberlin Collegiate Institute (later Oberlin), and on 15 Dec 1834, 51 men signed a thoughtful, respectful statement detailing what had happened and why they were leaving the Seminary and going to study at Oberlin. It was published in William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper “The Liberator,” and read throughout the country. (Well, it probably was used in the fireplace more in the South than read.)

The risks the Lane Rebels took in standing up for their beliefs makes them all American heroes, and founders of a movement that led to abolition, women’s rights, and freedom of speech for college students. We will explore these topics in upcoming posts, and are so pleased that this period of history is being presented to new generations of the American public. Watch the film wherever you can, buy the DVD, read upcoming posts, and ask yourself: “Would I have done the same as my ancestor, Joseph H. Payne, and the other ‘Lane Rebels’ and abolitionists?”

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Before anything else, a huge thank you to the producers, Kelly & Tammy Rundle and Kent Hawley; Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter who wrote the original play; and all the other folks who worked to made this production happen. This is such an important story to share!
2. Unfortunately we have not been able to communicate with descendants of Cornelia Mary (Payne) Hinckley and her husband, Horace A. Hinckley. Mary, as she was known, was one of three children of Joseph H. Payne. Her sister, Ruby D. Payne, died at age 11 in 1850. Her brother, Edward B. Payne, survived childhood and had one daughter, Lynette “Amino” (Payne) McMurray, who was the mother of the two doctors and daughter “Midge” listed above.
3. *Moline, East Moline, Rock Island in Illinois, and Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa are considered the “Quad Cities” even though technically that is 5, not 4, cities.
4.  IMDb is a movie database that is now owned by Amazon. The link for this movie is https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3835150/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt
   You can also click for ‘full cast’ but Joseph H. Payne is not listed as a character. This may be because there is very little found of his specific role in the debates, etc. He definitely was, however, one of the “Lane Rebels” as they were called, and upcoming posts with tell more about Joseph.
5. “Cincinnati”- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati
6. “Backstory- In The Beginning There Was a Play… And It Was Good!” Details on the playwright and film adaptation of Sons & Daughters of Thunder. https://docublogger.typepad.com/thunder/backstory/
7. You can order the film from the producers/Fourth Wall Films at https://www.fourthwallfilms.com/dvds.htm. Although the website states “Not secure” due to new Google requirements, the purchase section of the website opens up a secure window through PayPal. Amazon also offers the film: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082Z9L8D6?pf_rd_p=ab873d20-a0ca-439b-ac45-cd78f07a84d8&pf_rd_r=A9FVVWY3QW9G3ZCD2JVG
8. Lane Seminary- “Defence of the Students”: https://www2.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/LaneDebates/RebelsDefence.htm

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Original content copyright 2013-2020 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

McMurray Family, Payne Family (Click for Family Tree)

It is with great sadness that our flag today flies at half mast*- our country has lost a military hero and a man who has given most of the years of his life to service for our country, its values, its preservation, and its people.

Whether or not you like the politics of John McCain doesn’t matter, and yes, he was not a perfect human- none of us are. But he loved this country and its citizens, and did his best to honor them, whether it was his resolve to survive honorably as a downed Navy pilot enduring the horrors of the Hanoi Hilton (North Vietnamese POW camp for you young’uns) or negotiating across the aisle in the halls of Congress to enact legislation that would better the lives of everyday Americans. John McCain is a true American Hero, and it is good that we honor him.

This is not meant to be a political post, but the feelings of his passing weigh heavy on many hearts, mine included. These feelings have also made me think of our own ancestors who devoted their energy to preserving our freedoms, helping us all to be better souls, and even those who braved a wide, unpredictable ocean and the unknown to start a new and better life in America for their families and descendants. They too are American Heroes- our ‘quiet’ heroes.

All of our immigrant ancestors fit into the hero category, in my not-always-so-humble opinion. The very earliest, in the 1600s, would have known little about this country before they came. (And yes, some of our lines go back that far!) Later immigrants would have had more knowledge, though probably little about the conditions on board ship, or the terrible way many immigrants were treated once they got to our shores. Some came to build a new civilization where men (literally- only men like them) would be free, some were fleeing persecution due to religion, and others came to enrich their fortunes, help their families to survive, and have some land to leave their children. They braved unbelievable circumstances to get here and to settle here, and leave us an incredible legacy- the United States of America.

Our ancestors of the McMurray-Payne-Burnell line are a great example of those who chose to serve in various ways. Robert Burnell (1669-1737) was born in Essex, Massachusetts, so his father (still a question to this researcher) may have been our immigrant ancestor before 1669. Both families would have been involved in protecting homes, farms, and businesses, theirs and their neighbors. They would have lived through the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692- wonder if they had any involvement? (There were also other cases of accused ‘witches’ in other parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, where other early family lived.) It would have been hard to speak up against the hysteria without being accused yourself- there are always such considerations when taking a stand.

Robert’s grandson, Capt. Joseph Burnell (1725-1807) was a volunteer to the American Revolutionary War in 1775, and participated in the Siege of Boston. He is also noted as being on duty during the war at West Point Military Academy, working as an ‘artificer’- someone skilled in working on artillery in the field. He likely was teaching others those skills so that our rag-tag Revolutionaries would at long last win the war against the British, giving us freedom from king and tyranny.

Capt. Burnell’s son John Burnell (1750-1837), another of our ancestors,  was 26 in 1776, and he too served his country as a Continental soldier. There are quite a lot of documents for men named John Burnell from Massachusetts, so we will need more research to determine his actual service.

Rufus Burnell (1796-1875) was the son of John Burnell and Mary Bannister (1752-1838). (“Rufus” is from the same Latin word that means ‘red’ or ‘reddish hair’- without color photography can you get a sense of what he looked like?) Rufus was a Deacon in the church, and was serving his neighbors in a spiritual manner. Nancy Kingsley (1792-1839) was his first wife of three- sadly, he buried the first two. Their son, Kingsley Abner Burnell (1824-1905) spent his own life spiritually ministering to others. He travelled around the world with his brother, Thomas Scott Burnell (1823-1899), also a missionary. Both men were very involved with the American Missionary Society, and Kingsley, also known as “K. A.” journeyed through the United States promoting the Young Men’s Christian Association, or Y.M.C.A. Soldiers during the Civil War throughout the South were served by K. A. as well. The stories of these two Burnell brothers is an incredible one, and we will tell much more in upcoming posts.

Of course, we must, “remember the ladies” as Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John Adams as our new republic was being organized. There is very little that survives of their lives, unfortunately, but we know that they would have been beside their husband, supporting him in his efforts to serve, while raising their children, maintaining the household and garden, etc.- they served their families and communities in their own quiet ways.

The only daughter of Kingsley Abner Burnell was Nancy Maria Burnell (1847-1898), who married Edward Biron Payne (1847-1923). Edward was the son of a minister, Joseph Hitchcock Payne (1810-1884), became a minister himself, and even founded a short-lived Utopian colony in California. He wrote as well as lectured, and was a Christian Socialist who stood up for the rights of “the common man.” Edward gave up a pulpit in a wealthy church in New England in order to minister to others who needed him more because of their life situations in the mill towns of the Northeast. He may have contracted tuberculosis there, or possibly earlier, when he and Nanie (Nancy’s nickname) were in Chicago, Illinois, working in the poorest areas with Dwight L. Moody. Despite going blind in her early 20s, Nanie worked alongside Edward, and was involved with women’s groups in his pastorate.

Lynette Payne (1879-1968) was the only child of Edward and Nanie, and she grew up in the liberal town of Berkeley, California. As a teen she read a paper of her father’s to a Socialist group, and she likely attended meetings and lectures of socialists during her teenage years. She also probably attended lectures of the leading as well as local Suffragists who spoke in Berkeley and across the bay in San Francisco. (There was no Golden Gate Bridge back then!) Her father gave a series of lectures on female suffrage, and Lynette was 17 years old in 1896 when California voters decided not to ‘give’ the vote to women. Lynette moved to small-town Iowa after her high school graduation in 1897. She was outspoken there on women’s rights too- she was the first woman to ride a bicycle in Newton, Iowa, and even wore the scandalous new “bloomers.” Lynette was a devout Episcopalian and served her church with work done at St. Stephens in Newton.

Lynette married William E. McMurray (1874-1957) who owned a grocery store and meat market in Newton, always serving his customers  with a kind attitude. They had three children, and the two sons, Edward A. McMurray (1900-1992) and Herbert C. McMurray (1911-1989), both became doctors, serving their patients with kindness and understanding.

Dr. Edward A. McMurray’s son with Edith Roberts (1899-1982) served his country in World War II. Edward A. McMurray, Jr. (1924-2010), was an aircraft mechanic in the South Pacific. Our Marines would take a small island from the Japanese, the Seabees would go in and bulldoze a landing strip, then Ed and other Army-Air corp members would be taken in to set up the mechanics shop for the airplanes. His enlistment lasted the duration of the war, and their ship was in Tokyo Harbor on 2 September 1945 when the Japanese signed their surrender. He always was so proud to have served, and helped preserve, the freedom of our country and of those around the world.

Ed served his community as a trusted pharmacist for many years after the war. Some of his customers called him, “Doc,” showing the respect they had for his knowledge and loving care.

These are just some of the people in our McMurray-Payne-Burnell family lines who are “quiet” American Heroes. There are so many more who have served others throughout the years. These Heroes have served as role models for their children and communities, and we can never know the true extent of their legacy.

You can read more about the above persons in other blog posts- there are too many to reference- just put their name in the search box, or click on the tagged name that is a part of this post to find other stories about these fine people.

There are many more blog posts planned to tell the stories of these quiet American Heroes.

A heartfelt thank you to them all, and to John McCain. May they all Rest in Peace.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. * Half-mast vs. half-staff- technically, flags are flown in the US at half-staff, as the staff is the flagpole. Only on Navy ships is ‘half-mast’ technically appropriate, as flags there are flown from a mast. Since the Honorable John McCain as well as this writer are Navy veterans, we shall let it be ‘half-mast’ for today.By the way, the flag should always be raised to full height first, then lowered halfway, in honor of the fallen- not just raised to half-way up.
2. Please check out other, more detailed stories of our “quiet” American Hero ancestors on this blog.
3. Subscribe to the blog to be notified of new posts.

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McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

On this anniversary of the “natal” day of Edward B. Payne (AKA “birthday”) it is only fitting to post this lovely compliment and bit of history.

“Rev. E. B. Payne of Springfield, Mass, formerly a Congregational minister, will occupy the pulpit of the Unitarian church next Sunday. Mr. Payne is a young man recently from California, although a native of Vermont, and a brilliant preacher.”

“…a brilliant preacher“- there are those of us who so wish that we could have heard his “brilliant” sermons, or sat at the dinner table with him, or lounged under the trees at Wake-Robin Lodge discussing economics, social movements, literature, and his beliefs and experiences in life. He knew the politicians, religious leaders, movers and shakers, artists and writers of the times, especially when he lived in Berkeley, or at Wake-Robin Lodge with Jack and Charmian (Kittredge) London, or Altruria, the Utopian colony he founded, or Camp Reverie, the adult summer camp in the woods that he and Ninetta (Wiley) [Eames] Payne ran. All these fascinating persons would have been around the table or out on the porch with him in the evening, and the topics would have been very intellectual and far-ranging. Edward B. Payne was a prodigious reader, remarkable author, and profound thinker- and he must have been a fascinating conversationalist.

Edward Biron Payne was born in Middletown, Vermont, on 25 July 1847, so was not yet 34 when the above was written about him.

After service in the Civil War, graduation from Oberlin College with his degree in theology, and ordination in 1874 as a Congregational minister, E.B. went to Berkeley, California for a time. While there, he felt a need to reexamine the faith he inherited from his father and other ancestors, and Rev. Payne converted to the Unitarian Church.

E. B. then returned to New England in 1880 to visit his parents (Joseph Hitchcock Payne and Nancy S. (Deming) Payne), per some accounts, and decided to stay. His wife, Nanie M. (Burnell) Payne, had gone blind soon after their marriage, and their daughter Lynette Payne (later McMurray) had been born 26 October 1879. The couple would have wanted their family to meet their beautiful babe and likely needed some help at home (Lynette had been born very premature), which was not always affordable on a young minister’s salary.

In addition, it is likely that E. B. may have felt the need to make a clean break with the Congregational church in California. He had been the first pastor at Berkeley Congregational/ First Congregational Church, and it must have been hard to explain to church members why he had changed faiths. He surely wanted a fresh start with his new understanding of religion, so moving to another place, especially a place where there would have been more interaction with ministers of the Unitarian faith, would have been beneficial in coalescing his ideas about God and our world.

Rev. Payne was called to serve as pastor at Unitarian churches in Springfield, Massachusetts; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Leominster, Massachusetts. He “exchanged pulpits” periodically with ministers in other cities, to give his flock as well as himself some variety in his preaching.

Finding new pieces of information about Edward B. Payne such as these helps us to feel a bit of our “Wishful Wednesday” has been granted, though it can never replace what would have been a mesmerizing conversation with this brilliant man.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. The day of one’s birth was called a “natal day” back when he was born on 25 July 1847 and the term was also used for many years. In 1893, the Morning Call (San Francisco, California), Thursday, 27 July 1893, Volume LXXIV (74), No. 57, Page 3, Column 2, ‘Chronicling America’ via loc.gov, reported a surprise party “in honor of the anniversary his natal day.” See Mystery Monday: The Birth of Edward B. Payne at heritageramblings.net/2016/07/25/mystery-monday-the-birth-of-edward-b-payne
2. Interestingly, E. B.’s parents were enumerated on the Federal Census on 29 June 1880 in Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois, living with their other child, Cornelia Mary (Payne) Hinckley, her husband Horace A. Hinckley, and the Payne’s first grandchild, William H. Hinckley, age 11. Nanie’s parents were living in Illinois at that time as well, although a different county, so maybe E. B. and Nanie had gone to New England to visit E. B.’s parents, and then decided they had better opportunities in the Northeast than in the young California town of Berkeley. Of course, the family did move back to Berkeley in 1892, about 12 years after ministering to souls in New England, but that’s another story.

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Alfred PAYNE on November 1864 Tax List in Fremont, Lake County, Illinois. (Click to enlarge.)

McMurray Family, Payne Family (Click for Family Tree)

Taxes seem to follow us everywhere, and they did for our ancestors as well. Whether called an ‘excise tax’ (which was really an ‘income tax’ in this instance) to pay for the Civil War, as in the case of this ancestor, taxes on beloved British tea that would ignite a Revolution, or even going as far back as tributes to the chief of our ancient ancestor’s tribe, it seems we seldom get to keep all our earnings.

Taxes provide a “treasure chest” for our counties, states, and country to take care of infrastructure, provide employees and offices for essential services, etc. The old tax lists are also a treasure chest for family historians.

The life of Alfred Payne (1815-1895) is of interest because he was the brother of Rev. Joseph Hitchcock “J. H.” Payne, the great-grandfather of Dr. Edward A. McMurray. The above tax list from 1864 places Alfred in Fremont, Lake County, Illinois, to which at least two Payne lines migrated. It also tells us a bit about how he made his living. We know from censuses that he was a farmer, but he apparently also manufactured a significant amount of sorghum syrup.

At that time, the government had instituted the first income tax, to help pay for the Civil War. The tax laws were such that if one made $600 or less per year with a particular product, and if the product was produced by the farmer or his family, it would be exempt from duty. Alfred’s sorghum syrup production was more than double that dollar limit, so he was required to pay a 5% tax on the product they manufactured.

Alfred was taxed on 2,200 gallons of sorghum syrup. (It is unknown as to what the time period was for that much production- it may have been his annual production for 1864.) The syrup was valued at $1,320- that would be about $19,000 in today’s money. Most of us today would gladly exchange our tax rates with his 5%, which worked out to $66 in 1864, equivalent to about $960 today. We don’t know Alfred’s specific views on slavery, but most people in the family were staunch abolitionists, as were many in the town of Fremont and the members of the Congregational Church where Alfred was a charter member. So Alfred may not have minded the tax too much, since it was helping to pay for the war to end the cruel institution of slavery.

Alfred Payne is found on the December 1865 tax list as well, this time listed as a manufacturer for 7 months. His tax bill was $5.83. Sadly there is no more detail available, but he could have still been making the sorghum syrup since he was listed as a manufacturer.

In May of 1866, Alfred was listed in Bowen as a “retail dealer” and his tax was $10. Again, that is the only information…

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So just what was Alfred manufacturing, and what was it used for?

Sorghum syrup is made from a plant called Sweet Sorghum— there is a grain sorghum, too, which is not as high in sugars— both originally from Africa. The plant itself looks much like corn, but it can be grown under much drier conditions than corn. In the US today, sorghum is mostly grown in the south, but back in the nineteenth century, it was a common crop in the midwest as well. (Some of today’s farmers in the midwest sow it as a cover crop and winter food for pheasants, so that the hunting—and meat— is good.)

Today sorghum is used to produce biofuels, but as in the old days, it is also used for animal feed. The harvested plant is packed tight into silos with little air movement, for anaerobic fermentation. This silage keeps well over the winter when grass is scarce, and is fed to ruminants like cattle and sheep. When made into a syrup, sorghum is used as a sweetener– again, just as in Alfred Payne’s day.

The sorghum would be cut down at the end of summer, in September or October, and often juiced right in the field. Alfred Payne likely had some sort of a press for the sorghum on his farm, draft animals to turn the press/juicer, and a large cooker to reduce the sorghum juice down to a thick syrup.

As the stalks of the plant are crushed between the rollers of the press, a bright green juice is extracted. It would be cooked as soon as possible, so stacks of firewood would have been made ready for tending through the day and probably even the night. Boiling for hours would kill most of the bacteria that could spoil the liquid, and the heat would turn the juice into a golden amber colored, thick liquid. It would take about 10 gallons of the fresh juice to make just one gallon of syrup. Alfred and his family and any workers would have harvested quite a number of acres in order to produce 2,200 finished gallons of sorghum syrup. And they would have celebrated the harvest as the syrup cooked, eating and maybe dancing away the long hours of the night.

Sorghum provides minerals that cane sugar and high fructose corn syrups do not, especially if it is minimally processed. Our ancestors used sorghum as a ‘tonic’, and would have used sorghum syrup in pies and cakes, drizzled on their biscuits or rolls, etc. Sorghum has a rich, earthy flavor similar to molasses, though a bit different. If you want to try some, make sure you get 100% sorghum- sometimes they mix it with other products. It is very good over pancakes or biscuits, and really makes excellent cookies, too!

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. For more information about sorghum syrup and how to use it, see:
   https://www.farmflavor.com/at-home/shopping/what-is-sorghum/ and https://nssppa.org/Sweet_Sorghum_FAQs.html
2. Inflation calculator– https://www.in2013dollars.com/1864-dollars-in-2016?amount=66
3. Alfred PAYNE on November 1864 Tax List in Fremont, Lake County, Illinois from U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918, Ancestry.com.

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McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

One hundred sixty-nine years ago, on 25 July 1847, a son was the third (known) child born to Nancy S. Deming (1813-1893) and Joseph Hitchcock Payne (1810-1884). They named him Edward Biron/Byron Payne.

We do not know of any ancestors named “Edward” that he might have been named after, but we have not yet extended those lines as far back as we would like to have completed. His middle name, however, was likely after Nancy’s brother Byron Deming (1826-1920). Perhaps his middle name was also in homage to the poet Lord Byron, who many know today for his short poem, “She Walks in Beauty.” Byron wrote much more than just that one lyric, though, and was quite famous in his own time as one of the Romantic era poets. “J. H.,” as Edward’s father was known, was an educated man. He had read the classics as he completed his education, which included seminary training; he would have read Byron and many other poets and writers. Nancy’s father (Harvey Deming, 1785-1847) had been Town Clerk so she likely was educated to some degree as well, or maybe could read and/or write- we don’t know for sure, since there is so little in the records for women. J.H. and Nancy may have had dreams that their son would become a poet, and that he did as well in life as his Uncle Byron- but we are getting ahead of the story, and today’s Mystery Monday.

We cannot find a birth record for EBP (as he is lovingly known in our home since I am so obsessed with learning more about his life). Most information about his birth states he was born in Middletown, Vermont, including a card he filled out in 1918, when he was 71 years old:

Of course, when someone gives their birth information, it is always secondary evidence, since, although they were there at their birth, they probably were not aware of what day or year it was! A person only knows the day of their birth by what others tell them, such as their parents, or when they see a vital record.

The vital record here is the mystery this Monday- where is a record of EBP’s birth?

The 1900 US Federal Census noted that EBP was born in Vermont in July of 1847, but it also included that his father was born in England and his mother in Germany- both places are decidedly untrue, as the family has deep roots in early America. (Perhaps someone else gave the census taker the information?)

EBP’s second wife, Ninetta (Wiley) [Eames] Payne [Springer] was the informant for his death certificate in 1923, and she stated his birth as 25 July 1847 in Vermont.

Everything else we have found states EBP was born in Vermont, but where? And is there proof of when, since some sources noted his birth year as 1845 instead of 1847?

Starting with the information given by EBP on the California Author Card, we found that Middletown is in Rutland County, Vermont. The name was changed to Middletown Springs in the late 1800s, but he may not have known that, or else just preferred the name of the town as it was at his birth. Middletown is not a very populous town- only about 750 residents even today, with not many more in the past.

Vermont Vital Records are now available from FamilySearch and Ancestry.com, and a search box search on both websites was unsuccessful. So I looked through the records, page by page (virtually), in Rutland County for the years 1844-1848. No EBP. No mention of his parents. No mention of his sisters, but they were born in Ohio so would not be included in the Middletown or Rutland, VT birth records.

In The History of Middletown, Vermont, in Three Discourses… by Barnes Frisbee, published in 1867, we learn that Joseph H. Payne, EBP’s father, moved to Middletown in December of 1846, and preached there in the Congregational Church for about a year. That tidbit helps us to pinpoint his birth year as 1847 (vs. 1845), as EBP stated it was.

So, no success finding proof of Edward Biron Payne’s birth online despite many, many hours, but we do have a ‘preponderance of evidence.’ Happily, FamilySearch has a number of microfilms that include Middletown/Rutland land records, town records, etc., so those will be the next resource to peruse. We might be able to learn a bit more about the family’s short year in Middletown, as well.

Anyone out there have proof?

For now, we will continue to use 25 July 1847 as EBP’s birth, and we did raise a glass in his honor today. He was an incredible man, who put his faith into practice and worked unflaggingly to better the condition of all men and women. He once commented that he believed there was a door between the two worlds, our world of the living and the world of those who have moved on to the next phase, whatever that may be. I hope that today the door opened just a bit, and he saw how we lovingly honored him on his ‘natal day.’

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1. Image from Leominster Massachusetts Historical and Picturesque, by William A. Emerson, Lithotype Publishing Co., Gardner, Mass. 1888, page 55. Accessed 25 July 2016 at https://archive.org/stream/leominstermassac00emer#page/54/mode/2up.
2. Edward B. Payne census information–Year: 1900; Census Place: Berkeley Ward 2, Alameda, California; Roll: T623 83; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 397, via Ancestry.com. The 1900 US Federal Census for Edward B. Payne, indexed incorrectly in the home of Samuel Wakeman despite EBP having a different house number- he was actually single since his wife had died, and boarding at 2147 Parker St., as was Charmian Kittredge, who is listed on the same page. They were living in the home of Roscoe Eames and his wife Ninetta (Wiley) Eames. Charmian was the niece of Ninetta, and would later become the wife of the writer Jack London. Roscoe and Ninetta divorced, and she later married Edward. But that is all another story or two… or twenty.
3. The History of Middletown, Vermont, in Three Discourses… by Barnes Frisbee, Tuttle & Company, Printers, Rutland, Vermont, 1867, page 95, via archive.org.

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