Early church members:

John Chase’s  name did not appear as a founder until 1952. Not much is known about him except that he died without a will and without heirs. His approximately 3-acre parcel of land on Payne Place was escheated to the State and in 1854 deeded over to the trustees of Payne Chapel AME church for a church and a cemetery. He could be the John Chase buried at Speer Spring Cemetery who died in March 1850.​

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John Durham (Sr.), named as a Trustee in Act 317 of 1854, was born in Canada in 1800, lived in Nottingham Township in 1830, and in Chartiers Township in 1840. He and his wife, Mary Manks, had three sons and three daughters.  One of his sons, John Durham (Jr.), has the oldest Date of Death on a headstone at Payne Cemetery. This son died in 1858, four years after the cemetery was established and three years before the Civil War started. A second son, George Washington Derham fought in the Civil War and is also buried at Payne. Even though he died over 60 years after his brother, his headstone, an impressive marble obelisk, is adjacent to that of his older brother, John.​

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Elias Praul (1792 – 1888) was brought from Maryland as the property of Col. George Morgan in 1797. He was bequeath to the Colonel’s son at the Colonel’s death in 1810.  Elias and his wife said they were emancipated in 1828. But according to the 1780 Gradual Abolition Act of Pennsylvania, Elias would have been free by law after living in Pennsylvania for six months. This section of the 1780 Act was designed to prevent enslavers from bringing slaves into the state. Elias and his wife purchased a 40 by 200 foot lot on Greenside Avenue and in 1831 built a one-room log house. He worked at Jefferson College for college officials and was also a waiter at the college boarding house. Elias died in 1888. No headstone has been found for him but descendants with headstones include grandson Levi Praul, granddaughter Mary Belle Praul, and Mary Belle’s daughter, Juanita Nix. 

 

John “Jack” Sluby was born in 1795 in Maryland and was brought to Morganza by Col. George Morgan as a slave.  In the1840, 1850, and 1860 census of Free Inhabitants he and his wife lived in Chartiers Township. He died in October 1867. His son, Thomas Sluby, joined the Union Army and was wounded in the battle at Chaffin’s Farm, September 1864.  His burial in 1875 is one of the earliest of the Civil War veterans laid to rest at Payne. No headstone has been located for John Sluby.​

 

Boston Vactor (1775 – 1848) is most likely the Boston Vactor who was elected as a church trustee when Rev. Clingman was pastor in the 1830’s. He was enslaved by the Morgan family at Morganza. Boston Vactor (Sr.) and his wife Margaret were listed as free inhabitants in Strabane Township at the time of the 1820 and 1830 Census. His will stated that the 80 acres of land he owned in West Finley be divided between the sons of his two sons, Boston Vactor (Jr.) and Henry Vactor. The inheritance of one of his daughters, Margaret, was a feather bed and a cupboard. Daughter Margaret at the time of his death was married to Barney McCroby. A headstone for Boston Vactor  (Sr.) has not been located.​

 

Margaret McCroby’s (1799 – 1910) obituary states that she was a member of the church since its founding. While not listed as a Trustee in early documents she was one of its earliest worshippers. Margaret was born on the Morganza farm, one of the four children of Boston Vactor (Sr.). In her obituary she stated that she was born into slavery.  She married Barney McCroby before her father died and was bequeath the feather bed and a cupboard while her two brothers’ sons each inherited property in West Finley Township. Margaret was  affectionately known as Aunt McCroby. Her obituary transcribed from page 1 of the January 17, 1910 edition of the Canonsburg paper, The Daily Notes, reads:"Aunt" Margaret McCroby, the oldest resident of Canonsburg, died shortly before midnight last night. From what seem to be authentic records, Mrs. McCroby was aged 111 years. She was perhaps the oldest resident of Western Pennsylvania.Born in slavery on the Morganza lands, the life of this venerable woman had been lived in three centuries. If she was, as is claimed, 111 years of age when she died, the year of her birth would be 1799 the same year in which General Washington died.Death was caused by cancer. Until a comparatively short time ago, however, she was in good health, and was able to walk into town from the West End, where she had long made her home.According to records found in an old Bible Mrs. McCroby was born during the month of July, 1799. This record would make her age almost 111 years. She was born on what was the farm of Col. Morgan, but which is now occupied by the Morganza Reform school buildings. She was a slave for many years, being owned by the Morgan family.For many years she acted as maid and nurse to families in this section. She was familiarly known as "Aunt Margaret" and was known by practically everybody in this section of Washington county.Until a few months ago "Aunt Margaret" was a familiar sight on the streets of this place, always taking a daily walk. Her health, however, began to fail at that time and about 15 days ago she was forced to go to bed and gradually declined until her death last night. She was a member of the Payne A. M. E. church and had been since its organization. She was the widow of Barney McCroby, who also lived until he was over 90 years of age. Funeral services will be held in the Payne A. M. E. church, Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Aunt Margaret McCroby was one of four children born to Boston Vactor and Margaret Morgan. She and her brother, Boston Vactor (Jr.), were founders of Payne Chapel AME Church

 

​Boston Vactor (Jr.) (1809 – 1891) is recognized as a founder of the church. Boston Vactor (Jr) was listed as a Trustee of the Church in the 1854 Act 317. He and wife Mary had nine sons. Four belonged to USCT regiments. Two died of disease and were buried at Fort Barrancus in Florida. Two of the younger sons participated in Indian Campaigns after the Civil War. One of these, George Vactor, is buried at Payne. Both Boston (Jr.) and his wife are buried at Payne.   

 

John Ross, (1805 -    ) was not listed as a church founder until the 1952 history of the church appeared in The Daily Notes. In 1850 and 1860 he and his wife Hester Ann lived in Chartiers Township. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters. Daughter Caroline married Civil War veteran Daniel Johnson who is buried at Payne. Their son Andrew was a USCT and is buried at Payne. No headstone has been located for John nor for his son Andrew.​

 

Lucinda Albert (1812 – 1901) was born in Bentleyville, PA. She was recognized as a Founder and Stewardess of the church in 1952 and 1948, respectively. Her name is in the 1850 North Strabane Township census and is probably the female listed in the 1830 and 1840 censuses which only listed the head of household by name.  Lucinda was buried in the AME cemetery, but no stone has been found.​

 

Isaac Albert (1802 -    ) was recognized as a Trustee in 1930 and 1934, a Charter member in 1948, and a Founder in 1952. There are nine children listed with Isaac and his wife Lucinda in the North Strabane Township 1850 census, one of whom is 12-year-old Solomon who was a USCT and is buried in the Payne cemetery. No stone has been found for Isaac or for his son Solomon. 

 

Washington Jackson was listed in the 1854 Act 317 as a Church Trustee, as a steward in the 1934 newspaper article, and as a Founder in the 1952 news article. He was born @1811 as listed in the 1850 Chartiers Census of Free Inhabitants.​

 

Nancy Jackson, founder and early steward, is in the same family as Washington Jackson in the 1850 Chartiers census. Her approximate date of birth is 1825.​

 

William Johns (1826 -    ) was listed in the 1854 Act 317 as a Trustee of the church. He, his wife Sarah, and one-year old son Benjamin were living in North Strabane Township in 1850. While no headstone has been found for him, he may be an ancestor of Thomas Johns (1863 – 1935) who has a headstone in the cemetery.

 

​Reuben Walls (1813 – 1907) is listed as an Early Stewart in 1948, as a Founder in 1952 and is buried in the Payne Chapel cemetery. He can be found in the Chartiers Census in 1850, 1860,1870, and 1880. George Walls, possibly Reuben’s brother, can be found in the 1840 South Strabane Census of Free Colored Persons. Property owned by Reuben and George are identified on the 1876 Indexed Land Ownership Maps, 1860 – 1918 for Chartiers Township.Reuben and his wife, Elizabeth Cordeek had six children: John H Walls (1840 – 1914), who is buried at Payne, George, Levina, Catherine, William and Rachel. John A Walls, a son of George and his wife, Mary A Brown ( – 1887), is a Civil War Veteran but is not buried at Payne. He is the great grandfather of current trustee, Alice Thomas.

 

 ​William Wasler (1801 – 1877) first appears as a Steward in the 1934 history of Payne and then again in the 1948 Anniversary booklet.  The 1952 article states that he was a Founder which seems likely based on his date of birth. The William Wasler family lived in Chartiers Township at the time of the 1830, 1840, 1860, and 1870 censuses.  He and his wife Catherine “Kitty” Terrell raised five children.  The youngest, Reuben Wasler, Sr is the father of one of Washington’s first African American police officers, Reuben Wasler, Jr. William Wasler was a conductor on the Underground Railroad helping fugitive slaves who were passing through Washington County seeking freedom. He worked with George Walls, related to Founder Reuben Walls, who often called on him to hide a fugitive who was being pursued. A specific incident is described by author Thomas Mainwaring in Abandoned Tracks: The Underground Railroad in Washington County, Pennsylvania. “One notable instance of Wasler’s help involved Randolf, the slave of a Carolinian who had been educated in Canonsburg. Randolf decided to seek freedom when he accompanied his owner on a visit to Canonsburg. After Walls had enticed Randolf to run away, Wasler hid the slave on the Ewing farm.”

 

​George Wheeler (1818 – 10 Oct 1888) was listed as a Trustee in the 1846 deed and in the 1930 and 1934 articles.  He was recognized as a Charter member in the 1948 Anniversary booklet and as a Founder in 1952.  George and his wife, Jane Bards, had eight children. An Article in the Canonsburg Daily Notes 7 July 1887 said he had fallen from a trestle at Allison's mine and was severely injured. Later in the year, the congregation made a surprise visit to his home with food, including pounds of coffee. There was a notation in church minutes several months after he died that the church should see to it that he had a headstone. To date no headstone has been found in the cemetery.​

 

Peter Wheeler (1825 – 1872) was listed as a Founder in the 1952 article. He and his wife Elizabeth Hackeous had three children. They lived in Chartiers Township in 1850.​

 

John Wheeler is listed as a Trustee on the deed of 1846.​

 

Thomas Vestor is listed on the deed of 1846.