Hannah Payne (1851 – 1892)

Hannah Lambourne was born in 1851 in Bradfield, the daughter of Edward and Hannah, nee Sharp, Lambourne. She was baptized on 4 January 1852 at St Andrew in Bradfield, her father Edward was recorded as a servant.

In the 1861 census Hannah was living with her parents Edward and Hannah and two siblings in Fisher Coppice in Bradfield, Edward was a butler. Ten years later in the 1871 census Emily was living as a servant in Compton Vicarage and was recorded as a housemaid.

Hannah married George Payne in 1873 in Bradfield district. George was a widower born in 1843 in Newbury. He had married Miriam Payne in 1867. Miriam had died on 25 November 1871.

In the 1881 census George and Hannah along with children Samuel aged 12 (son of Miriam), Arthur aged 6, Elizabeth aged 3 and Henrietta aged 1 were living at Horn Street in Compton. George was recorded as a bootmaker.

Three years later George and Hannah were living in a cottage next to the level crossing a mile south of Compton station. Hannah was employed by the Great Western Railway to open and close the gates. However, as Hannah had scarcely recovered from her confinement George had temporarily undertaken the duties of gate keeper. On 17 September 1884 the last passenger train had passed through at 9 o’clock and the gates shut across the line. George and Hannah then heard a rumbling noise while sitting in the house which was a train coming along the line. George rushed out to try and open the gates but the train smashed into the gates killing George. The train was a special cattle train running from Devizes to Oxford of which George and Hannah had no knowledge. An inquest was held at the Swan Hotel and a verdict of accidental death recorded. George was buried on 20 September at St Mary and Nicholas in Compton.

In the 1891 census Hannah along with her children Arthur aged 16 and Frederick George aged 9 together with Hannah’s mother Hannah Lambourne was recorded living in Wakefield Cottages in Stroud Green. Hannah was recorded as a semptress and Arthur a general labourer.

Hannah died on 14 (or 16) January 1892 and after a service at St Nicolas was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 18 January. Announcements appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 21 January and Reading Standard of 22 January, as below.

PAYNE – Jan. 16, at Wakefield’s Cottage, Stroud Green, Hannah Payne, aged 40 years.

PAYNE – On the 14th inst., at Stroud Green, Greenham, Hannah, widow of George Payne, aged 40 years.

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