Although Reuben Payne, Enoch Payne's grandfather may have owned other
land, the deed below is the first recorded deed I have located and the
first known record of this Reuben Payne line in America. Here he
sells land to Samuel Gamble that was
granted to Elijah Owens in 1784. Reuben aquired the land between
1784 and 1790 when John Sevier makes the
following entry into his diary. Reuben must have farmed and sold
corn. Elijah Owen was a land speculator as you see from the entry
below.
Gov. John
Sevier's Diary owned
by the McClung Museum Knoxville starting on Page 19
March Sun 8 1795 Fair & pleasant. Mon. 9 warm
snowed at
night. Tues 10 snowed in the morning. Bought of Mr. Paine 150
B. corn at 2/. Paid him Liere 7. (?) (?).
Wed. 11 Fry 13 cold. Jno. Fickee 1 pr.
overals
12/. Sat. 14 very cold. (First Mention of Reubin or
James Payne in U.S.) clear &
cold.
thur. Cold snowed at night.
Reuben went on Bond when his son John Payne married Rachel Parker in
Washington County, TN in 1794.
Deed Book 9 1801 - 1808 page 217 and
218
2/26/1803
This endenture made and concluded upon this twenty 6th day of February
in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three between
Reubin
Payne of the County of Washington in the State of Tennessee of the
one
part and Saml Gamble of the
other part of the County of Sullivan and
State
of said of the other part. It is this the same Reubin Paine and
in
consideration of the sum of Six Hundred and sixty Six dollars and Sixty
Six
cents, ????convait and confires unto him the said Saml Gamble
his
heirs and assigns for ever all that tract of land situated lying in the
county
of Washington aforesaid. Beginning at the North ??? West crossing
Sinking
Creek, Seventy poles to the white oak then the old State Line then
North
one hundred and eight poles to Loyser
Ford or forks, ??? red oak then
with
his line eighty two poles crossing Sinking Creek to a ?? sapling then
East
one
thousand and sixty poles to a white oak tree, then seventy one hundred
and
fifty two poles to a stake then west sixty eight poles to the
beginning.
Containing two
hundred acres as by plat and from the State of North
Carolina
dated the 10th of November 1784.
Recorded in the
Register
Office
in
Book A page 258 appears together with all woods hay and water and
what
in ??? mines minerals ???? apparatus to the ???? or any part there of
to
hold to him the said Samuel Gamble his heirs and assigns against him
the
said Rubin Payne and his heirs and assigns and agents living
other
???? by ???? is Wilnely Whine of the said Reubin Payne hath
here unto
set his hand and seal this day on year fore written. Signed and
Delivered
in person
Reuben Payne (signature) Seal
Nathan Shipley
James Payne
David Dyer
Old
Book
A page 258 State of North Carolina No. 517
To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting:
Know ye that we for and in consideration of the sum of fifty shillings
for
every Hundred acres hereby Granted paid unto our Treasury by Elijah
Owens
have given and Granted and by these presents are give and grants the
said
Elijah Owens a tract of land containing two hundred acres
lying
and
being in our County of Washington on Sinking
Creek Including big
spring.
Beginning at a white oak tree thence on a dividing line between this
survey
and a survey former by John Edmond now belonging to the said
Owens, North sixty eight degrees west one hundred and six poles
to
a white oak thence on said dividing line North Eighty six degrees west
seventy
six poles crossing said creek to a white oak tree on Nicholas Halls
line then on said Halls line north one hundred and eight poles
to
?? Fords corner red oak which was formerly Johnstons. Then on
said
Fords line east eighty two poles crossing said creek to said
Fords corner locust sapling then East Hundred and sixty two
poles
to a white oak tree then south one hundred and fifty poles to a stake
then
west sixty eight poles to the beginning as by the plat hereunto annexed
doth
appear together with all woods waters mines minerals Here delemants and
Appedudagces to the said land belonging or appertaining to hold to the
said
Elijah Owens and his heirs and assigns forever yielding and
paying
to us such sums of money yearly or otherwise as our general assembly
from
time to time may direct provided always that the said Elijah Owens
shall cause this Grant to be registered in the registers office of our
said
County of Washington within twelve months from the date here of
otherwise
the same shall be void and of no effect in testimony whereof we have
caused
these our letters to be made patent and our Great Seal to be here unto
affixed.
Witness Alexander Martin Esq our Governor Captain General and
Commander
in Chief at Newbern the tenth day of November in the ninth year of our
Independence and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and
Eighty
four
By his Excellency Command T Glasgow, Secretary Alex
Martin
Goodspeed History of Sullivan
County, Tennessee
The principal valleys are Denton, Holston Cook and Beaver Creek. The
largest stream is the Holston River, which traverses the eastern
portion of the county, flowing in a south westerly course until it
reaches the Washington
County
line where it is joined by the Watauga. It then runs in a north
westerly direction to its confluence with the North Fork at Kingsport.
Its chief tributaries are Sinking
Creek, Beaver Creek, Fall Creek,
Kendrick Creek, Muddy Creek and Reedy Creek.
Elijah Owen:
Book - Notable Men Of Alabama - Vol I - Ref. 920.71 N899
1976.
Above Book has several pictures of this prominant family.
This book says "The Owens family migrated from Va thru the Carolina's
into Ga in 1792. Elijah lived in Hart Co. Ga near the Savannah River.
In 1807, Elijah was a lawyer in Milledgeville, Ga. Ten years after
Elijah died, the family moved to Perry, Houston Co. Ga. The three
brothers
became land speculaters and became very wealthy,acquiring much land."
Elijah Smith Owens Sr. served Ga House of Rep and State Senate. He was
desc of James Owens Founder of this branch of family who settled
in Jamestown, Va. with the first colonists.
The following maps are from http://www.tngenweb.org/tnland/squabble/
