PAYNE, THOMAS [SSNE 7638]
Text source
Thomas Payne acquired citizen rights in Bremen on 21 June 1638, his sponsors being the Englishmen and Bremen citizens Thomas Ohrum [SSNE 7639] and Raff Bristow [SSNE 7640] - (Ohrum had only acquired citizen rights ten days previously). The registrar noted that Payne was also English. In 1644 Payne was registered as as a tobacco seller in the tax registers of the church district of St Martini. Together with Hinrich Schroder he later owned a tobacco factory. In September 1662 and in February 1663 both entrepreneurs asked the city council for a monopoly for the processing of tobacco in the city. Payne's family originated in Ronse (Renaix) in Flanders, but had moved to London by 1524 where they attached themselves to the Dutch community. For reasons which remain hitherto unknown Payne's father migrated from London to the Dutch Republic (province of Zealand) and Payne according to at least one source arrived from there to Bremen.
Sources: Staatsarchiv Bremen, Burgerbuch, P.8.A.19.a.2.c., p.214; Staatsarchiv Bremen, Heuerschillingsregister, St Martin, R.1.A.10.c.2.III.b.8.c.; Staatsarchiv Bremen, Ss.2.b.T.1. Ruth Prange, Die bremische Kaufmannschaft des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts in sozialgeschichtlicher Betrachtung (Bremen, 1963), pp. 237-238.
Entry by Dr Kathrin Zickermann.
Service record
- BREMEN (CITY),
- Capacity TOBACCO MERCHANT/ ENTREPRENEUR, purpose MERCANTILE