Researching William Payne

Born at "Granville," near Warrenton, Virginia, Payne completed preparatory studies.He studied law but never practiced.He moved to Franklin County, Alabama, in 1825 and engaged in planting.He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1831.He moved to Sumter County, Alabama.He was again a member of the State house of representatives 1834-1838 and in 1840.He was an unsuccessful candidate for the State senate in 1839.

Payne was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, and Twenty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1847).He served as chairman of the Committee on Elections (Twenty-eighth Congress).He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846 to the Thirtieth Congress.He returned to Virginia in 1847 and engaged in planting near Warrenton.He served as chairman of the Democratic State convention in 1859.He died in Warrenton, Virginia, September 2, 1874.He was interred in the City Cemetery.

He was first elected at the Coast—Capilano riding in the 1958 general election defeating Liberal incumbent James Sinclair. Payne made a previous unsuccessful attempt to win the riding in the 1957 election. After serving his only term, the 24th Parliament, Payne lost Coast—Capilano to Liberal candidate Jack Davis in the 1962 election.

Payne made his first-class debut for the South against the North in 1877 at Argyle Street, Kingston upon Hull. It was in 1877 that he made his first-class debut for Sussex against Lancashire at Old Trafford. He made sixteen further first-class appearances for the county, the last of which came against Derbyshire in 1883. In his seventeen matches for Sussex, he scored 180 runs at an average of 7.50, with a high score of 37 not out. With the ball, he took 25 wickets at a bowling average of 19.60, with best figures of 3/34.

Below first-class, he played at county level for Sbropshire between 1897 and 1905, while playing at club level for Whittington and being engaged as club professional at nearby Park Hall. He played 24 county matches, totaled 555 runs and took 55 wickets.

Outside of cricket, Payne worked as a shoemaker, an occupation which had long been associated with his family. It is known that by 1881 he was married to his wife, Emily, with whom he had a three-month-old daughter. He died at the town of his birth on 25 June 1909. His brother, Alfred, played first-class cricket, as did his uncles Charles Payne, Richard Payne and Joseph Payne.