Born in Frome in 1800, Sampson Payne came to Southampton in 1842 after spending 20 years in Salisbury. On arrival in the town he set up a business selling china and glass in his ‘bazaar’ at 68 High Street. By 1849 he was rich enough to make his home at Clayfield House, a large house on the west side of the Avenue, just north of Banister Road. In 1852 he gave up business and invested in land and property, initially buying Freemantle House estate. He demolished the house and sold off the land in plots to land societies and individuals. He was active in local politics, becoming a Liberal councillor in 1846 and elected mayor in 1854 and 1855. He purchased Bevois Mount estate in 1854 with the intention of developing it for housing, but his death in 1856 prevented this. Paynes Road in Freemantle was named after him.
Sampson Payne
Sampson Payne×
Newspaper clippings:
Death of Sampson Payne, Esq. - (Hampshire Independent, 24/05/1856)
Funeral of the late Mayor of Southampton - (Hampshire Independent, 31/05/1856)
see also
Further reading:
More Stories of Southampton Streets, by A. G. K. Leonard, p128-131. (HS/h)
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