Walter Payne, Mayor of Oxford

Walter Payne

Mayor of Oxford 1607/8 and 1617/18

Walter Payne (or Paine) (c.1565–1619) was an Oxford innholder from 1595. Before that date he appears to have been a cordwainer (and thus well-placed to be one of the council’s scrutators of leather, a post he held for twenty years from 1583 to 1603). Anthony Wood, however, describes him as a "chandler (afterwards innholder)".

Payne was elected on to the Common Council on 7 April 1587, and gained a Chamberlain’s place in October 1591. In September 1594 he was appointed Junior Bailiff.

In June 1595 Payne was granted a licence to sell wine, paying a fee of 40s. In September 1597 his apprentice cordwainer, Thomas Coxe, was admitted free.

In October 1603 Payne was elected on to the Mayor’s Council

In June 1604 the council granted permission for Payne to mound in a piece of waste ground next to the highway leading to Brokenhayes on the south, paying 2s a year and maintaining a footway there at his own charge. It was about this time that he surrendered his wine licence.

In September 1607 Payne was elected Mayor, and he requested that the mercer Edmund Clay should be made free. During his year of office there was an outbreak of plague in Oxford.

In July 1611 Payne was elected an Alderman.

In September 1617 Payne was elected Mayor a second time. Twyne notes:

This yere, 1618, the towne went about to procure a newe charter, wherein this Walter Payne was declared to be "primus et modernus civitatis Oxon. maior", and the aldermen then beinge to be "primos et modernos ejusdem civitatis aldermannos" — which was very absurd in my opionon.

Payne died a year after serving as Mayor, and was buried at St Martin’s Church at Carfax on 23 December 1619. He left the rental of 6s 8d a year from 12 Cornmarket for the repair of the constables' staves and the property that he leased from the council at 25–29 Castle Street to John Payne.

His widow, Mrs Joan Payne, married John Dewe at St Martin’s on 14 April 1623, but was buried there herself less than a year later on 23 March 1623/4.