PAINESVILLE, city, seat (1840) of Lake County, northeastern Ohio, U.S., near the mouth of the Grand River and Lake Erie, 30 mi northeast of Cleveland. The site, first settled permanently by Gen. Edward Paine with a party of 66, was laid out around 1805; it was known variously as The Opening, Oak Openings, and Champion (for Henry Champion, original owner of the plot). In 1816 the community was renamed to honour Paine and was incorporated as a village in 1832. Jonathan Goldsmith, an architect of the Western Reserve period, built many elegant homes there in the 1820s, some of which survive. The Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula (now Penn Central) Railroad came through in 1853, and the nursery business, now extensive, began in 1854. Lake Erie College (founded as Willoughby Seminary for women in 1847) was moved to Painesville in 1856. The village remained mainly residential and became a city in 1902. Since 1940 it has developed industrially as part of Lake Erie's "Chemical Shore." Pop. (1980) 16,391.

General Edward Paine (1745-1841)

He entered the patriot army in 1775. from Bolton, Connecticut and was comissioned an ensign on May 1, in Captain Parson's Company, Colonel Waterbury's Regiment of the Connecticut militia and served until Dec. 1. His company was discharged at the end of seven month's enlistment. He again entered the service, in June 1776, and was comissioned first lieutenant in Captain Briggs' company, Colonel Comfort Sage's Connecticut Regiment, was ordered to New York and was in the army at the time of the retreat to White Plains. On March 21, 1777 he was comissioned lieutenant of the 5th Company of the Alarm List, 19th regiment of the Connecticut militia and on May 23, 1777, he was comissioned captain of the same organization and served as captain for two years to the close of the year. After the war, he moved to Amenia, Dutchess County, New York and later settled at Aurora, New York. While living in Aurora New York, 1792 to 1794, he was appointed lieutenant colonel commandment of one of the militia regiments in Onondaga County. In 1798, the militia was formed into a brigade and Edward was appointed Brigadier general. He represented his district in the legislature in 1798 and 1799. His son came to Ohio and talked his father into moving to Ohio. The John Walworth family had settled here and they were good friends of the Paines. He conceived the project of making an excursion into Ohio for the purpose of trading with the Indians. With this in view, he and his oldest son, Edward Paine, Jr., started on their perilous journey and reached the mouth of the Cuyahoga, now the site of Cleveland, and selected a place at which to establish themselves. In October of 1800, he was elected to the Territorial Legislature and was instrumental in settling the town of Painesville in 1805. One of the things that he also did in Ohio was lay out the Old Chilicothe Road under the authority of the state in 1802. He was allowed a pension on his application executed Aug 11, 1832, while a resident of Painesville. Obituary: The Telegraph, Painesville, OH, Vol. Vii, No. 83, Wed., Sept. 1, 1841.

Stephen Paine IV (1708-~1797)
Father

Born in April, 1708 in Rehoboth, MA. His father died when he was two years old and his brother Edward, was a few months old. He and his mother and brother moved to Preston, CT. He eventually moved to North Bolton (later Vernon) and acquired a large estate. He married Deborah Skinner of Bolton, farmed his land and raised ten children. He was reputed to be a religious man, a patriot, public spirited and devoted to the cause of independence for the colonies. He was a soldier in the French and Indian War. Because he was approaching the age of seventy when the Revolution began, he was too old to volunteer himself, but he encouraged all of his sons to fight for the cause. All seven responded and served. He died in Ellington, CT at the age of eighty nine, at the home of his youngest son.

Stephen Paine III (1654-1710)
Grandfather

He was twice representative in Colonial Parliament.

Stephen Paine II (1629-1677)
Great Grandfather

He was one of the three children who came from England with his parents,when about four years of age, in 1638. He was married in 1652 to Ann, daughter of Francis Chickering of Dedham, MA, and admitted Freeman in 1657, taking the oath of Fidelity and becoming a prominent citizen of Swansey and Rehoboth, MA. He became a landowner and operated a tannery. He died in Rehoboth a few months before his father. He had nine children, six boys, three girls. Stephen Paine II, along with his father, extended his holdings and acquired lands from Wamsutta, son of Massasoit. He and his father built houses in Swansea, and Stephen II acquired additional land in what is now Attleboro. Wamsutta died and his brother Metacomet succeeded him as Sachem or Chieftan, of the Wampanoag Tribe. The name King Philip was bestowed on Metacomet by the English as a flattering title because the relationship between the Indians and the Puritans had been friendly, and Metacomet had been generous in their dealing. However, as the immigration increased by large numbers and the settlers began to encroach without any treaty or compensation to the tribes, it is understandable that King Philip took exception to these attitudes. He foresaw doom for his people unless they unified and resisted. He was successful in organizing the Confederation of the Narangassett tribes. By 1675 there was repeated meddling in Indian affairs by the settlers and this arrogance at length provoked savage attacks on the settlements. Belatedly, the English succeeded in forming a limited Confederation of their own, comprising several of the Colonies. Stephen II was an active participent in the King Phillips War in 1675, contributing money and his personal services to carry it on and fought in the English ranks under Major William Bradford. By uniting, and with superior weapons, they managed to defeat the Indians after several months. It was the end of the Narangassett Confederation, although fighting continued along the northeast frontier. Indian women and children, including King Philip's wife and son, were sold into slavery in the West Indies. King Philip was captured and killed. His head was sent to Plymouth and set on a pole in a public place. It remained there in ghoulish display for twenty five years. The pious Puritans had made their point. Murder of their own was intolerable.

Stephen Paine (1602-1679)
Great-Great Grandfather

He came from Great Ellingham, County of Norfolk, England in 1638 and was a miller by trade. He evidently financed his move to New England by selling "Heynons", his home in Great Ellingham, to his father-in-law, John Adcocke, and seven rods of land and other properity to his mother and stepfather, Margaret & Francis Stacye. Steven was among one of eleven "shippers of wheat & malt bound from Yarmouth to New England. He arrived on the ship "Diligent" from Ipswich with a large company of emigrants. He brought his wife Rose, three children and four servants. They settled in Hingham, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, named after the home town and already established since 1635. In 1643 the family moved to a new area, and Stephen Paine was one of the founders and first proprietors of Rehoboth, MA, on the borders of Rhode Island. Records show that he became one of the grantees of an eight-square mile plot of land which was then purchased from Massasoit, Sachem of the Wampanoag Indians. In 1642 he became one of the original proprietors. In 1647 he was elected a deputy to the court at Plymouth and then continuously until 1660 and at various times thereafter until 1671. Stephen owned and operated a sawmill. He continued to aquire property both in Rehoboth and in nearby areas. On December 25, 1660 he became one of the orginal proprietors of Swansea and also of Sowams, now Warren, RI. In 1661 he was one of a group which pyrchased from Wamsutta, son of Massasoit, Sachem of Pokanoket, land later named Attleboro, MA. He also owned much land in what is now Barrington & Warren, RI. He was prominent in the affairs of the Church and colony. He was representative to the General Court for many successive years until his death in 1679. He was an ancestor of the Rehoboth branch of the most extensive divisions of the Paine family of this country. His wife, Nellie (sometimes called Rose), died in Rehoboth, January 20, 1660, after which he married Alice, the widow of William Parker of Taunton, MA. She died in December, 1682. Of the children of Stephen I, authentic records have been preserved of two, Stephen and Nathaniel. His will and the inventory of his estate are on file in the Boston State House.

Taken from the Extensive Payne/Paine Family Website, by Steven L. Payne,
http://stevepayne.home.mindspring.com/