Stephen Paine, immigrant, with wife Rose and three children came to New England in the ship "Diligence," of Ipswich, in 1638, and settled in Hingham, Massachusetts, as early as 1660. He was one of the first proprietors of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He was freeman, 1639, deputy, 1641, and many years townsman, 1644, and held the office for several years. He married (first) Rose ————, who died January 20, 1660; (second) Alice or Elizabeth Parker, widow of William Parker, of Plymouth or Taunton. She died December 5, 1682. He died August, 1679. His will is one of the earliest on record in the State House, Boston. Children:
- Stephen, mentioned below;
- Nathaniel, born in England.
(II) Stephen (2), son of Stephen (1) Paine, was born in England, in 1629, and came to New England with his father. He went first to Hingham, and removed to Rehoboth in 1643-44, where he became a prominent citizen and land holder. He took the oath of fidelity in 1657. He was a tanner by trade. Both he and his father owned land in Swansea, Massachusetts, and may have lived there for a time. He served in King Philip's war, under Major Bradford, and contributed money to carry it on. He married Anne, perhaps a daughter of Francis Chickering, of Dedham. She married (second) Thomas Metcalf, of Rehoboth. Children:
- Stephen, born September 29, 1654;
- Rebecca, October 20, 1656;
- John, April 3, 1658;
- Mary, May 11, 1660;
- Samuel, mentioned below;
- Elizabeth, August 27, 1664;
- Sarah, October 12, 1666;
- Nathaniel, September 20, 1667;
- Benjamin, March 9, 1674-75.
(III) Samuel, son of Stephen (2) Paine, was born at Rehoboth, May 12, 1662. He held various town offices in Woodstock, and in 1695 bought two hundred acres at Pomfret, Connecticut. He was a wealthy man for his day. He died at Woodstock, May 11, 1735. He married (first) Anne Peck, of Rehoboth, December 16, 1685; (second) Mrs. Abigail Frissell, of Woodstock, Connecticut, where he settled in 1708. Anne Peck was born December 22, 1667, eldest child of Deacon Samuel and Sarah (Hunt) Peck. Sarah Hunt was the daughter of Peter Hunt, Sr., and granddaughter of Enoch Hunt, the immigrant. Deacon Samuel Peck was the son of Joseph Peck, who came in the "Diligent." Abigail Frissell was the daughter of ———— Bartholomew, and widow of Joseph Frissell, of Woodstock. Children of first wife, born at Rehoboth:
- Samuel, September 13, 1686;
- Ann, September 15, 1688;
- Seth, August 20, 1690;
- Sarah, December 11, 1692;
- Judith, February 18, 1694;
- Noah, May 21, 1696;
- Stephen, June 21, 1699, mentioned below;
- Daniel, February 22, 1702;
- Ebenezer, 1711;
- Rebecca, 1713.
(IV) Stephen (3), son of Samuel Paine, was born June 21, 1699. He married, 1727, in Pomfret, Sarah Leach. Children, born at Woodstock or Pomfret:
- Judith, December 31, 1727;
- Noah, November 29, 1729;
- Stephen, mentioned below.
(V) Stephen (4), son of Stephen (3) Paine, was born in Woodstock or Pomfret. He married Anna Bushnell. In 1773 he removed from Woodstock to what was then the frontier of western Massachusetts. Here he settled at Partridgefield, now Hinsdale, Berkshire county, just south of the old Boston and Albany turnpike, and cleared and cultivated a farm. Among his children was Ebenezer Leach, mentioned below. This branch of the family has spelled the name Payne and Payn.
(VI) Ebenezer Leach Payn, son of Stephen (4) Paine, was born in Andover, Connecticut, September 21, 1762. When eleven years of age, he removed with his parents to Partridgefield, and at the age of fourteen became a soldier in the revolution as a substitute for his father, who was ill. He was present at Ticonderoga when the English under General Burgoyne compelled the evacuation of that fort by the patriots, and took part in the retreat of the latter, which involved the crossing of Lake Champlain on rafts of logs. He participated in the battle fought at Hubbardton, Vermont, where the overwhelming number of the British forces again compelled the American troops to retreat. He married, May 12, 1783, Keziah Kenny, born in New Milford, Connecticut, June 18, 1766. They settled in that part of Hinsdale known as the "North Woods," about two miles from the center of the town. Children:
- Alpheus, born, 1787;
- Daniel, 1789;
- Stephen, 1791;
- Bushnell, 1793;
- Noah, 1795;
- Chauncey, 1798;
- Sally, 1800;
- James, 1803;
- Elijah, 1806, mentioned below;
- Keziah, 1809;
- Lyman, 1811;
- Elvira, 1813.
(VII) Judge Elijah Payn, son of Ebenezer Leach Payn, was born 1806, died in Hudson, New York. He married Rachel Dunspaugh. Child,
- Louis Frisbie, mentioned below.
(VIII) Louis Frisbie Payn, son of Judge Elijah Payn, was born in Ghent, Columbia county, New York, January 27, 1835. He was educated in the schools of Chatham, New York. He has always been active in business and political life, and has given much time to the public service. In 1872 he built a mill for the manufacture of paper at Chatham, and in 1890 added machinery for the manufacture of box board. He is president of the Stony Brook Box Board Mills. and president of the Louis F. Payn Oil Company of West Virginia and has interests in silver mines in Colorado. From youth he has been an ardent member of the Republican party and an influential supporter of its interests. Since 1864 he has attended as a delegate every national convention, but has never been a candidate for any elective public office of importance. He achieved a national reputation in 1880 on account of his strong support of General Grant as a candidate to the presidency for a third term. He has, however, made the political fortunes of many other men now high in public life, and is still active and alert in politics. He has held several important appointive offices in the state; January 28, 1856, he was appointed deputy sheriff of Columbia county; 1866 harbor master of the port of New York City; in 1877 he was appointed by President Grant United States marshal for the southern district of New York; February 2, 1897, he was appointed by Governor Black state superintendent of insurance and served until January 21, 1900. He is a member of Columbia Lodge, No. 98, Free and Accepted Masons. He married (first) 1857, Margaret, daughter of John Stafford, and niece of General Worth, of Mexican war fame. She died in 1898. He married (second) December, 1902, Marion K. Heath, of Albany, New York. He now resides at Chatham, New York, where he has lived for seventy years.