Fauquier County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Payne, John Barton 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Connie Burkett taylorwvusgwarch@gmail.com August 6, 2008, 10:11 pm

Author: James T. White

The National Cyclopędia of American Biography
James T. White & Company, New York 1909
Volume X, page 112

PAYNE, John Barton, lawyer, was born at Pruntytown, Taylor Co., Va., Jan. 26,
1855, son of Dr. Amos and Elizabeth Barton (Smith) Payne, both natives of
Fauquier county, Va. His great-grandfather, Francis Payne, was an officer in the
Continental army. John B. Payne was educated in the schools and by private
tutors in Orleans, Va. He began active life as clerk in a general store at
Warrenton, Va., and later acted as assistant to the clerk of the circuit court
of Taylor county, Va. Meantime having read law, he was admitted to the bar in
September, 1876. Almost from the start he was prominent in politics, and early
became a leader. His marked ability as an organizer, and power of oratory,
prominent in the campaign of Tilden and Hendricks, won him the position of
acting chairman of the Taylor county Democratic committee. Later he was a
delegate from the county to the Democratic senatorial and congressional
conventions. He located at Kingwood, Preston Co., W. Va., in March, 1877, and
rapidly built up a large practice. In 1878 he was chairman of the county
Democratic central committee; in 1880 was temporary chairman of the
congressional convention at Grafton; was chairman of the Preston delegation at
the Fairmont congressional convention; was a member of the congressional
executive committee, and delegate to the state convention at Martinsburg. He was
active in the presidential campaign of 1880 in behalf of Gen. Hancock, making
numerous speeches throughout Virginia and Pennsylvania. In May, 1881, he was
chosen by the bar special judge of the circuit court of Tucker county to sit in
a chancery cause to which the regular incumbent, Judge Ice, was a party. He was
mayor of Kingwood in 1882, and on the expiration of his term removed to Chicago,
Ill., where he has since resided. In this new location Mr. Payne duplicated his
former brilliant record and rapidly acquired a recognition and well-merited
prominence both socially and professionally. He became president of the Chicago
Law Institute in 1889. In November, 1893, he was elected judge of the superior
court of Cook county for a term of six years. Of the ten candidates on the
Democratic ticket, he was the only one elected, receiving a majority of 5,000
votes. He resigned the position on Dec. 5, 1898, to engage in the general
practice of law, and in February, 1899, formed a partnership with Edwin Walker
under the style of Walker & Payne. Judge Payne is an active member of the Union
League and Midlothian Country clubs and of the Chevalier Bazzard Commandery, K.
T. Politically he is a Democrat; his religious affiliations are with Triniiy
Methodist Episcopal Church. He was married, in October, 1878, to Kate, daughter
of the late Judge Edward C. Bunker, of the circuit court of West Virginia. 

Additional Comments:
Originally submitted to Taylor Co WV Archives, permission given to copy here.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/fauquier/bios/payne132gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/

File size: 3.5 Kb