The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-06-01
PRE-REVOLUTIONARY
DRUM OWNED BY BRAD
PAYNE OF ,WANCHESE

| Daniel Bradford Brad Payne
of Wanchese is a man who knows
a good deal more about drums
than most people de- and more
about the particular drum that he
used as drum "beater" for the Old
Christmas celebration at Rodanthe
for the last 80 or more years than
any man alive.
This drum figured in a story in
this paper some weeks ago. 1t was
used by the Rodanthe SCHOOLGIRL
dren in presenting the Old Christ
mas scene of the Drama of Dare"
pageant. Nix Payne took the trou-
bic to come into the office last Fri
day to enable US "'to put the rec
ord straight" about the ancient
drum. In clearing up the record,
Mr.. Payne told us a good deal
about the very interesting history
of the drum, and, incidentally, of
his own family, which dates in
Dare County from well before Rev.
pulmonary war times.
The Dare County Paynes
/ The Dare County Paynes, Brad
says, are all descended from three
brothers from England who were
shipwrecked on the beach near the
present location of Rodanthe. Two
of the brothers settled at Rodan-
the, the other went over into
Hyde County.
A part of our school festival
story Brad Payne is quick to deny
is that the drum could have wash
ed ashore in the year 1872. It has
been in the uninterrupted possess
sion of his family for at least $50
years, of that he is sure. Besides,
Brad points out, if it had been
.awash in the sea, the salt water
would have ruined it.
Drums History
Here's the record of the drum
in the Payne family as far back
as Brad has certain knowledge of
it. John Payne, the great-great-
grandfather of Brad, was born
sometime prior to Revolutionary
times; the dates of his birth and
death have been lost from the fam
lily records. From his great-grand-
father Brad knows that John
Payne owned the drum. How long
it had been in the family before
John Payne's day is unknown.
John bequeathed the drum to his
son, Brads' great grandfather, Ed
ward Payne, who lived from 1896
to 1882. Brad's grandfather, Will
liam (1826-1900) did not inherit
the drum; instead Edward, always
called Neddy Payne, passed the
drum on to Williams son, Benja-
mine S. Payne, when Ben was a
lad of IL years old. Benjamine,
Brad recalls, became a "profes-
sional beaten" of wide renown.
Benjamine was born on March 5,
1855, and died on September 25,
1929. Before he died, he gave the
drum to his son, Brad.
Used by Militia
In the days before the Revolu-
ton, there was company of mi
litia on the Lower Banks at Kin
nekeet; when the company drilled
this very drum was used with a
fife to provide the militia's martial
music.
If you ask Bradford Payne to-
day about the value of the drum,
he is inclined to think the matter
of little Importance. 1t is true, he
admits, that someone once offered
to bargain for it with $1,000 as his
bait. But money doesn't enter into
the matter much with Brad. The
drum has been in the Payne family
so long that it is, for them, a price
less heirloom; and Brad simply
isn't interested in selling it.
When Brad gives up his annual
trips to Rodanthe to "beat" for
the Old Christmas festival, he says
he is going to leave it in the care
of one of his brothers or their chill
dren. In that way, he can be sure
that the drum will remain in the
Payne family as long as there are
any Paynes to care for it.
The Paynes Today
In few weeks Brad will cele-
brate his 77th birthday; he was
born on July Is, 1874. His living
brothers and sisters are Folger
and Damron M. Payne of Wan
cheese, Zion S. Payne of South
Norfolk, Mrs. Mary D. Tillett,
Miss Elva Payne and Mrs. Evilina
M. Gallop, all of Wanchese.
MANTEO perez AHC WIFI