Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Ralph Pain

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Descendants of Ralph Pain

Generation No. 1

1. RALPH¹ PAIN^1,² was born Bet. 1650 - 1660 in Rhode Island?³, and died Abt. December 1727 in Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts³. He married DORITHEA^4,⁵ Abt. 1682 in Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts ⁶. She was born WFT Est. 1644-1666 ⁷, and died Abt. February 1728/29 in Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts^7,⁸.

Notes for RALPH PAIN:
From the research of Robert Gerrity: The first record we have at present of Ralph Paine is his admission as a freeman of Rhode Island. He and twelve other men from Newport were granted this status by the General Assembly on 1 May 1677. (John R. Bartlett, ed., Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England, [Providence, 1857, II:564]).

The best candidates for RP's parents are a James and Amy who have a daughter Amy born 1650 in Newport. Torrey records this in his NE marriages. That's the only evidence so far for that couple, excepting Amy, as a probable widow, is still living in Newport in the early 1670s. (Early Settlers of RI.) Ralph first appears in 1677 when he's made a voter of Newport. (RI Colony Records) Being made a voter then meant that 1.) you owned "enough" property in town to be self-supporting in a trade or on a farm, and 2.) you were over 21. If he was at least 21, then he was born NO LATER than 1656, bringing him close to the younger Amy's birth. And the property had to come from somewhere.

Against this, he named NO SURVIVING children James or Amy, nor did those names descend into his children's families. (But then neither did Ralph and Dorothy, with 2 exceptions.)

Also there is a Paine family in Bristol, MA (later RI) in the 1680s which has names very similar to Ralph's children and which I haven't been able to link up to the Rehoboth group. But in that group there are no Ralphs, James or Amys.

One FamilySearch listing, from the original IGI of the early 1940s, gives Ralph's father as "William, RI" but the original record on file at LDS provides NO Documentation for that ascertion. Its earliest citation is Ralph's will, nothing else. I believe the individual providing the information for Sealing knew of the Mr. John Paine - William Paine connection mentioned above and guessed that the latter was old enough to have left a son in RI. But he or she did no research on that, and it isn't possible in any case (various Register articles and solo citations; though that family needs a 21st century study).

Arthur B. Paine, an RP descendant with Hathaway ties, wrote the famous genealogist G. Andrews Moriarity in about 1902 asking what he thought about Ralph's origins. I still haven't been able to track the source of the lead that ABP passed on to GAM (& it is very tantalizing James & Amy), but when ABP later wrote to GAM, all he said was "sorry to hear that. Maybe something will turn up"! (GAM Collection, NEHGS)\

I don't give up hope, even after another 100 years, but certain records, such as Newport land deeds from that period, are long missing at the bottom of Long Island Sound & others, like the Bristol town records, are what they are, incomplete & sketchy from the very first; we're lucky some clerks remembered or managed to keep any records at all. It's likely that if anything turns up, its going to be a name or a relationship popping up in a deed or will involving a totally different family.

So, if you'd like to visit Newport RI in the summer or early fall, there's great food to sampled, some great sites to see, and this particular project at the Newport Historical Society just waiting to be done!

"Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Records Book 1, 1687-1745" (Milwaukee Public Library, index R929.3 R859):

page 157:
Order to John Paine, Exec. of Est. of his father RALPH PAINE of Freetown, dtd. 20 Feb. 1727/8 [6:73].
Will of RALPH PAINE of Freetown, Husbandman, dtd. 23 Apr. 1722, prob. 20 Feb. 1727/8. Wife Dorothey, Sons: John, Thomas & Joseph Paine. 2 daus. Mary Slocum & Sarah Briggs. Son John as Exec. Witns: Abraham Simmons, Benjamin Terry & Seth Smith [6:73/4].

Inv. of Est. of RALPH PAINE of Freetown, dtd. 20 Jan. 1727/8, pres. by John Paine, his son & Exec. Apprs: William Winslow, Jacob Hathaway & Benjamin Terry [6:74/5].

*****
From the research of Chris Hanson, lake@digisys.net:
Ancient Freetown was purchased of the Indians by 26 freemen of new Plymouth,Mass. Ralph, of Rhode Island, purchased the "Pain" lot from the Constance Southworth family on June 12, 1688. Whether he was the son of that colorful figure Paine, who had set up feudal estate on Prudence Island, which later the province of Rhode Island took away from him, is unknown. He became grand-jury man in 1695, constable in 1702. His will was dated 23 April 1722, and his grave and that of his wife were marked with the initials R.P. and D. P., no dates.

The Pain Family
"A brief sketch of the early branch of the Pain Family, Settled at Freetown, Bristol Co. Mass." Communicated by Gen. Ebenezer W. Peirce, NEHG Register Vol. 15 July,1861

The nineteenth lot...These facts are enumerated because tradition, in this locality, has assigned to this tract the name of "Pain Lot", when in truth only half was ever owned in that family, this being purchased by Ralph Pain, said to be of Rhode Island, June 12th, 1688.

Ralph Pain was grand juryman in 1696, and constable in 1702. His will bore date of April 23, 1722, and his death occurred not long after.

More About RALPH PAINE:
Occupation: 1702, Constable (Source: NEHG Register,Vol 15, July, 1861, 236.)
Will: April 23, 1722

Notes for DORITHA:
NEHG Register, Volume 15, July 1816

More About RALPH PAIN:
Date born 2: Abt. 1651, Rhode Island ⁹
Died 2: Abt. January 1727/28, Freetown, MA⁹

Notes for DORITHEA:
Various accounts spell her name Dorithea, Dorothey, Doritha, Dorthy, and Dorthia.

More About RALPH PAIN and DORITHEA:
Marriage 1: Abt. 1682, Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts ¹⁰
Marriage 2: WFT Est. 1667-1700 ¹¹
Marriage 3: 1669, Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts ¹²
Marriage 4: Abt. 1685, Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts ¹³

Children of RALPH PAIN and DORITHEA are:

2.	i.	MARY² PAINE, b. Bet. 1681 - 1684, perhaps Newport, Rhode Island; d. December 31, 1762, Middleton, Rhode Island.
3.	ii.	JOHN PAIN, SR., b. Bet. 1684 - 1685, perhaps Newport, Rhode Island; d. December 17, 1765, Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts.
4.	iii.	SARAH PAINE, b. Bet. 1686 - 1689, perhaps Newport, Rhode Island or Swansea, Massachusetts; d. WFT Est. 1727-1783.
5.	iv.	THOMAS PAIN, b. Bet. 1687 - 1692, perhaps Swansea, Massachusetts; d. Bef. November 1759, Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts.
6.	v.	JOSEPH PAIN I, b. Bet. 1694 - 1699, Freetown, Bristol Co., Massachusetts; d. October 27, 1760, Berkley, Bristol Co., Massachusetts.

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