EARLY ON

Charles Worthy in 1896 provided a commentary on Paynels, Fitz-Payns and Payns in the West Country on pages 431-432 of his book [DEVONSHIRE WILLS: A COLLECTION OF ANNOTATED TESTAMENTARY ABSTRACTS].

"Ralph Paganel, or Paynel, whose immediate descendants were known as "Fitz-Payne," appears in Domesday as Sheriff of Yorkshire, in which county he had fifteen manors in 1087, a like number in Lincolnshire, five in Somerset, and ten, inclusive of the Manor of Washfield, in this county [Devonshire], in which all his lands are entered as those of "a free Knight." His three younger sons, Ralph, Reginald, and Robert Fitz-Payne, settled in Devonshire, and are believed to have first come here with the Conqueror's army in its march westward in the year 1067. His eldest son, Fulk Fitz-Paynel, married Beatrix, daughter and heir of William Fitz-Asculph, and thus acquired the Staffordshire Manor of Dudley, and had a son, Ralph,* whose son, Gervase Fitz-Paynel, as " Baron of Dudley," attended the ceremony of the coronation of Richard " Cceur de Lion." Another son of this Ralph, " William Fitz-Payne," acquired the Devonshire Barony of Bampton by marriage with the daughter and heir of Robert de Douay."

We can see this particular family name shifting from Paganel or Paynel, to Fitz-Payn, and to Payn and their having much property in the West Country (including Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucester, Hampshire, etc.). The Payne lines that interest me most seem to have derived from two powerful and influential families in the 1100s (the Paynels above, from Yorkshire and Devon/Bampton, and William Fitz-John, a top military leader for Henry I fighting on the Welsh border and erecting Payn Castle). I believe that the Sir Robert Fitz-Paynes (also military leaders serving English kings) who came later had these roots, and their descendents were certain Payns and Paynes in Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and Hampshire who were well connected with nobility and royalty and were heavily involved in shipping and trade abroad by the early 1400s. Fitz-Payns in the West Country seemed linked also to Paynels and Payns already in the Island of Jersey, with at least one West Country Fitz-Payn buying much property there in the 1300s. These Paynels, Fitz-Paynes, and Payns were related closely and very early on to the Berkeley family (perhaps the most influential family in the English West Country) and they served several of these Berkeleys later as key aids/assistants. Branches of the Berkeley family (those extending from the Mowbrays, who married into them, and all of the way down to the John Berkeley who founded the Virginia ironworks in the 1620s) seem particularly worthy of Payne research, especially since the John Payn of Wymondham (who appears to be a common ancestor for many current Paynes involved in DNA testing and analysis) was apparently a tenant there in Wymondham around 1400 of the Mowbrays.

Patrick Payne introduced the notion of a merchant-mariner network of Paynes in the early settlement of America and covered a lot of ground in detailing pieces of this network. I'm hoping that Patrick and a few others doing Payne research will slowly be able to fill in more pieces of this challenging and very interesting puzzle.

Paynes, Payns, and Fitzpayns

A group of Calloway/Kellowey researchers has been working together for years and putting their speculations and conclusions concerning early Callloways/Kelloweys in England on their web sites. From working notes that one of them (Dr. Sylvia Warham) shared with me recently, these seem to indicate that the FitzPayns of Somerset and the Hutton Paynes (who I have been studying) were branches of the same family that split sometime in the later 1300s. If so, and I haven't seen enough evidence yet to be certain myself of this immediate family connection, the Hutton Paynes are closely related to even other wealthy Payne families elsewhere in England (who were related to the FitzPayns). Sir Robert Fitzpayn (1st Baron) served both Kings Edward I and II on the battlefield and held key positions for Edward II, including being his steward of the household and personal representative in a mission to confer with the Pope. Sometimes referred to in records as "Robert son of Payn," this Sir Robert Fitzpayn and his son Robert (2nd Baron) held considerable land in Devon, Dorset, Wilts, Gloucester, and Somerset.

Interesting also from research of the Calloways/Kelloweys, I can infer an apparent link between the Huntingdon Paynes and the Hutton Paynes. The father of Sir Robert Payne of Medloe held that manor and land after a Calloway/Kellawey gentleman (the second of the Sir William Kellaweys), whose grandfather and aunt had both apparently married Hutton Paynes.

The Calloway/Kelloway researchers present a useful model for cooperative work among many committed individuals in sharing their emerging speculations and conclusions. Their specific inputs concerning early Paynes, Payns, and Fitzpayns offer potentials related to my own goals in this blog and will demand much time for me to study and to try to expand upon or question.