NOEL PACE AND JOHN H. PAYNE - SMITH COUNTY, TX Submitted by East Texas Genealogical Society P. O. Box 6967, Tyler, TX 75711 18 January 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************************* East Texas Family Records, VOL. I, No. 1, pages 2-3 SMITH COUNTY: NOEL PACE AND JOHN H. PAYNE By Glen Robert Johnson, Sr., Certified American Lineage Specialist In 1850, Noel Pace and John H. Payne sold their adjoining farms in Troup County, Georgia and moved their families to Smith County, Texas. Noel Pace, son of Barnabus and Mary (Casey) Pace, was born in Georgia, about 1800. His wife, Nancy, was born in Georgia about 1807. Her parents were Moses Trimble, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Crawford) Trimble, and Rebecca Harris, daughter of Jordan Harris. Noel and Nancy were married in Newton County, Georgia, December 28, 1826. When they moved to Smith County, in 1850, their family consisted of the following children: Moses, born 1328, died 1913, married in 1853 to Mary W. Swain; Rebecca, born about 1829, died after 1880, married John H. Payne; John, born about 1832, married Ann Cousins; Amanda, born about 1835, married Dr. Robert C. Overton; Angelina, born about 1838; Arametta (sp?), born about 1840, married Dr. T. R. Collier; Winifred (Winnie), born about 1845; Sarah Ann, born about 1844; Lavernia Nancy born about 1845; and Noel, born about 1847, and died young, sometime after 1850. In Smith County, Noel bought and operated a farm near Troup, and, apparently did well for a few years, until his health failed. He died between April 3, 1854, when he wrote his will, and November, 1854. In his will, Noel divided a substantial share of his estate among his children, and specified that the remainder belong to his wife, Nancy, for the rest of her natural life. After Noel's death, Nancy continued to operate the farm, and by 1860, both sons, Moses and John, were also sucessful farmers, living near their mother. Moses spent the remainder of his life in Smith County. He died in Arp, February 2, 1913. Moses had four sons and two daughters. One son, Henry, still lived in Smith County, near Arp, in 1943. John H. Payne, son of Joseph and Mary Payne, was Noel Paces's son- in-law. He was born in Georgia about 1820, and on April 11, 1844, married Noel's daughter, Rebecca. John and Rebecca lived next door to the Pace family where John operated a farm inherited from his parents. Three children were born before the family left Georgia: Mary Jane, born October 21, 1846, died near Shamrock, Texas November 29, 1927, married James Polk Johnson, son of Daniel M. and Adeline (Smith) Johnson, in Tyler, Texas, 1863; Joseph born about 1848; and Ellen, born late 1849, or very early 1850. John and Rebecca settled in Smith County near Arp, a few miles north of the Pace family, and there three more children were born: William about 1851; Alfred about 1854; and John, about 1856. By 1360, John and Rebecca had accumulated real and personal property valued at about $10,000, including sizable real estate holdings and several slaves. Undoubtedly, their fortunes suffered some reverses during the next few years because of the Civil War and the "reconstruction" period that followed. Even though he was over forty years old, John enlisted in the Confederate Army and served until the end of the war as, "Principal Wagon Master" for Company "E", First Cavalry Regiment, Texas State Troops. After the war, he returned to his farm, where he and Rebecca were still living when the 1880 census was taken. After the war, he returned to his farm, where he and Rebecca were still livinc, when the 1880 census was taken.