My Genealogy Hound

John H. Payne. The genealogy of this family can be traced directly back to two brothers who, on coming to America, settled on James River, Va., and were among the early colonists. This family is among the old and much respected ones of the country. J. H. Payne was born in Greene County (now known as Clay County), Ark., April 20, 1850, and is the son of B. B. and Nancy (Nettle) Payne, and grandson of James Payne and wife, nee Hitchcock, the latter being of Irish extraction. In 1844 B. B. Payne came to Clay County, Ark., with his wife and family consisting then of three children, and is now living one and a half mile from Greenway. There were nine children in the family, five daughters and four sons, all now married, and six of whom were born after their parents came to Arkansas. There are seventy-five descendants to this family in children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, living at the present time. Jesse Nettle, the maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was of Welsh descent, and his wife, Polly (Derosett) Nettle, was of French extraction. J. H. Payne, one of the rising young men of the county, has filled the office of magistrate for three consecutive terms, and in 1885 he was elected to the XXVth General Assembly of Arkansas. At the present time he is occupied in timber speculations, but previous to this he had made farming a specialty. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, holding credentials as a preacher in the same, and at present is studying for the legal profession. He chose for his wife Miss Susan D. Nettle, a native of Clay County, Ark., and the daughter of William R. Nettle, of Tennessee. She died September 16, 1888, and left five children: J. H., Jr., Laura J., David L., James C. and George. He is a Democrat and takes considerable interest in politics. He lives in Piggott, and practices in the inferior courts of the State.