Bryant Payne was born 10 August 1795 in Beaminster, Dorset, England. He was tried at Dorsetshire, England on 29 July 1819 and transported as a convict to Australia aged 25 years, leaving Portsmouth 12 April 1820 arriving in Sydney 17 August 1820 on the ship ‘Earl St Vincent’. His occupation listed as miniature painter and shoemaker.
On 30 June 1825 there was an order on the Colonial Treasurer for him to work for the Government. A Ticket of Leave was granted to him on 1 January 1827. He worked for Dr Henry Gratton Douglas for a few months and was lent to William C Wentworth as a painter of his new home (Vaucluse House).
He married Ann Devlin on 21 April 1840 and they had five children while living at Port Macquarie. They were: Pyrland Justinian, Claudius Theodosus, Jane Eliza, Samuel Bryant and Caractacus. Bryant worked for many years as a shoemaker and watchmaker for Major Innes at Port Macquarie.
Bryant received a Conditional Pardon on 18 November 1847. He died on the 8 April 1854 and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery at Port Macquarie. His wife Ann died on 20 November 1860 and is also buried in the Pioneer Cemetery along with their son infant Samuel Bryant who died on 30 July 1849.
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:
- Charles Bryant Justinian born 1866 – died 1930
- Alexander John Matheson born 1868 – died 1945
- Mary Marjorie Catherine born 1869 – died 1946
- Angus Ronald born 1871 – died 1880
- William Hugh born 1872 – died 1955
- John Henry Joseph born 1876 – died 1934
- Mary Ellen Agnes (Bradley) born 1877 – died 1948
- Caractacus Augustus born 1879 – died 1940
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:
- Charles Payne born 1905 died 1906
- 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 90th 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:
- Kathleen Mary (Unger) born 1893 died 1982
- Bernard Howell Payne born 1894 died 1969
- Alexander Reginald Payne born 1895 died 1968
- Sylvia Catherine (Doyle) born 1897 died 1979
- Mary Elizabeth Payne born 1898 died 1978
- Frederick Desmond Payne born 1900 died 1979
- Annie Aileen Payne born 1902 died 2002
- John Alexander Payne born 1903 died 1991
- Catherine Agnes Payne born 1905 died 1993
- Jane Elizabeth Payne born 1907 died 1993
- Ena Gwendoline (Hicks) born 1912 died 2003
- 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. They had 4 children: Mary Josephine, Michael (Max), Alexander John and Patricia Gwendoline.
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.
Mary Marjorie Catherine Payne (1869 – 1946)
Mary was the first daughter of Pyrland and Catherine Payne. She married John Joseph Davis on 8 October 1900 in Sydney. John was born in Tipperary, Ireland and arrived in Australia aged 19 in 1890. John and Mary had 6 children and lived in Sydney.
Angus Ronald Payne (1871 – 1880)
Third son of Pyrland and Catherine died when he was only 9 years old.
William Hugh Payne (1872 – 1955)
Fourth son of Pyrland and Catherine married Norah Cecilia Davis in 1902.
John Henry Joseph Payne (1876 – 1934)
Fifth son of Pyrland and Catherine married Jane Lena Mooney in 1905.
Mary Ellen Agnes Payne (born 1877 – 1948)
Second daughter of Pyrland and Catherine married Matthew Joseph Bradley in 1901.
Caractacus Augustus Payne (1879 – 1940)
Sixth son of Pyrland and Catherine was born on 26 November 1879 after the family arrived in Upper Lansdowne and died in Taree on 11 July 1940. Caractacus is buried in the Lansdowne Cemetery. He married Elizabeth Veronica Cox in 1922 at Waratah and they had 6 children:
- Augustin Charles Payne born 1923
- Henrietta Veronica Payne born 1925
- Augus Bernard Payne born 1927
- Charles Bryant Payne born 1929
- Doreen Leone Payne born 1931
- Bernard Payne born 1933
Caractacus worked on the speedway at the Steelworks for 8 years. About 1925 he moved back to Upper Lansdowne with his family to the farm where he was born. In about 1938 he moved to Comboyne.
Compiled by Gloria Crittenden – March 2025