Families – Payne

Pyrland Justinian Payne 1841 to 1907

Pyrland was born at Lake Innes, Port Macquarie on 22 March 1841, the eldest son of Bryant Charles Payne, a convict from Beaminster, Dorset, England and Ann Devlin from Antrim, Ireland.

Pyrland married Catherine Matheson on 9 January 1866 in Port Macquarie.  She was born in 1841 in Beechwood, the daughter of Alexander Matheson and Mary Kennedy.

They had 8 children and initially lived at Lake Innes.  Pyrland was a shopkeeper and butcher, then the full-time school teacher of the Beechwood school. After moving to Upper Lansdowne, a mail receiving office was established at his residence at 55 Paynes Lane in September 1886 and on 1 October 1886 it was made a Post Office and operated by Pyrland.  Pyrland died suddenly of heart disease on 24 February 1907 and the post office was then appointed to his daughter Mary Bradley.  Mary resigned on 1 July 1908 and the office was taken over by Samuel J Unger whose premises were about a mile from Payne’s property.  Samuel was married to Kathleen Mary Payne, daughter of Alexander and Mary Ann Payne.

Pyrland and Catherine’s children are:

1. Charles Bryant Justinian born 1866 – died 1930
2. Alexander John Matheson born 1868 – died 1945
3. Mary Marjorie Catherine born 1869 – died 1946 married John Joseph Davis in 1900
4. Angus Ronald born 1871 – died 1880
5. William Hugh born 1872 – died 1955 married Norah Cecilia Davis in 1902
6. John Henry Joseph born 1876 – died 1934 married Jane Lena Mooney in 1905
7. Mary Ellen Agnes (Bradley) born 1877 – died 1948 married Matthew Joseph Bradley in 1901
8. Caractacus Augustus born 1879 – died 1940 married Elizabeth Veronica Cox in 1922

Charles Bryant Justinian Payne 1866 to 1930

Charles was the first son of Pyrland and Catherine Payne and he was a farmer.  He married Elizabeth Crittenden on 26 August 1905. They had 2 children:

1. Charles Payne born 1905 died 1906
2. Pyrland Vincent (Vince) Payne born 1907 died 1997.  Vince took over the family farm at 55 Payne’s Lane, Upper Lansdowne after his father died.  He built the house which currently stands on the property and established a Jersey Stud in 1931 which he called “Valley Farm”.  Cattle from Vince Payne’s Valley Farm were sought after all over Australia and played an important part in the establishment of many top stud farms.  Among these were the nationally famous Ingalala stud of Johnston Brothers of Taree Estate.
   In 1948 Vince Payne had the distinction of breeding the first Manning district cow to win the coveted Champion Cow award at the Sydney Royal Show with ‘Valley Farm Anemones Belle’.
   Vince married Mary Linda Plunkett in 1949 and they had two children:  Kevin and Anne.  Vince passed away in 1997 in his 90^th year.

Alexander John Matheson Payne 1868 to 1945

The second son of Pyrland and Catherine Payne was a farmer.  In 1884 he purchased a portion of land in the Upper Lansdowne valley, consisting of 40 acres.  As it was another conditional purchase, indicating he held other land, he would have paid one pound per acre.  This land was within the proclaimed “Gloucester Goldfield” being gazette on 3 June 1879.  However, little gold was found in this area.

After leaving school Alexander worked on farms until he secured his own property at Upper Lansdowne where he spent the rest of his life.  He worked hard to develop the property into one of the best farms in the district.

On 6 July 1892 he married Mary Ann Quinlivan.  She was taught music by the Brigidine Nuns at the convent in Cundletown and in turn taught all of her children to play several instruments, such as piano, violin, trumpet and drums.  She was also an adept dressmaker and oil painting was another of her many talents.  She also found time to work for the School of Arts and her church.

Alexander and Mary Ann had the following children:

1. Kathleen Mary (Unger) born 1893 died 1982
2. Bernard Howell Payne born 1894 died 1969
3. Alexander Reginald Payne born 1895 died 1968
4. Sylvia Catherine (Doyle) born 1897 died 1979
5. Mary Elizabeth Payne born 1898 died 1978
6. Frederick Desmond Payne born 1900 died 1979
7. Annie Aileen Payne born 1902 died 2002
8. John Alexander Payne born 1903 died 1991
9. Catherine Agnes Payne born 1905 died 1993
10. Jane Elizabeth Payne born 1907 died 1993
11. Ena Gwendoline (Hicks) born 1912 died 2003
12. Gerald Joseph Payne born 1914 died 1966

Kathleen Mary married Samuel Joseph Unger in 1920 after his first wife died.  They had 5 children to this marriage.  Samuel already had 6 children to his first marriage to Mary Ann Royan.
Bernard Howell married Isabella P Doyle in 1918.  Bernard served in both WW1 and WW2.  His son Bernie Michael also served in WW2.
Alexander Reginald married Catherine (Kit) Hutton in 1920.  They had 3 children:  Dallas Alexander, Audrey Elizabeth and Shirley Pauline.
Sylvia Catherine married Michael James Doyle in 1923.
Mary Elizabeth married John Cicolini in 1920.
Frederick Desmond married Olive E Atkins in 1926.
Annie Eileen married James McCarthy in 1936.
John Alexander married Annie Eileen Unger in 1936.
Catherine Agnes married Clarence H Carmady in 1926.
Jane Elizabeth married James Percy Mooney in 1941.
Ena Gwendoline married Rex Newlyn Hicks in 1942.
Gerald Joseph married Ellen Teresa Pye in 1934.

Alexander died in 1945 and Mary Ann died in 1941.  They are both buried at Dawson River Cemetery, Cundletown.

^{Compiled by Gloria Crittenden – March 2025}