My Family Tree

Matilda Mann was born March 12 1830 in Prince Edward Island (Matilda gave this as her date of birth in the 1901 Canadian census, and was age 62 in the census of 1891). She was married by license to William Paynter (Painter) on 18 March 1852, with her father or brother, William Mann, as one of the witnesses.

According to the Islander: "At St. Eleanor’s Church, by the Rev. J.H. Read, on Thursday the 18th, Mr. William Paynter, of New London, to Matilda, fifth daughter of Mr. William Mann, of New London."

William Paynter, who emigrated from Devon, England with his father, was a farmer and a blacksmith, and his hand-made forceps - for removing teeth are mentioned in a local PEI history of Long River: "Should a person call holding onto his jaw William would stop shoeing a horse, take the bill-hook off the nail on the wall, wash off the dust and bugs in the barrel of water used to temper irons. A man had to lay down on his back, William sat on his chest and stumped out the tooth. A sore jaw but no more tooth ache. Women set up on a bench. No record can be found of his charges. These forceps can be seen at "Woodleigh" and "Old Mill Museum."

William and Matilda's children, as given in the Burlington history, were Herbert, Bernard, Caroline, Wellington, Rosella, Evangeline, Sophie and William. Anna Evangeline, Bernard, Caroline, Herbert, James, Rosella and Wellington were listed in the PEI Baptismal Index, all baptized in the Church of England. Jane Sophia's father was listed as William, but her mother's name was transcribed as May Ann.

In the 1861 Canadian census, William listed his occupation as blacksmith. He was in the fifth year of a 200 year lease with the landlord Cunard. At the time of the 1861 census, there were six people in the household: in addition to William and Matilda, the household consisted of 1 boy and 1 girl under 5 (Wellington and Sophie) and one boy and one girl between 5 and 16 (Bernard and Caroline). By the 1881 Canadian census, Wellington (20), Sophia Jane (23), Herbert Reid (19), William John (15), Rosella (10) and Hanna (or Anna) Evangeline (6) were listed as living at home.

Matilda and her sister Amelia were members of the Church of England, and both named sons after Herbert Reid, a widely respected minister who was later an archbishop in the Anglican Church of P.E.I. Matilda's son, James Armenius Richey was also named after a Church of England minister.

There are a number of Paynter (or Painter, Payester, Payenter) cousins with similar names and birth dates, so mistakes may have been made in listing Matilda's descendants. She was survived by 4 sons and 4 daughters.

Matilda died in 1904 at the age of 74, and was buried in St. Thomas Cemetery in Springbrook. Her gravestone gave her age as 78.

Paynter Mrs. William [nee Mann] Pioneer 26 November 1904, page 7, col. 6

William Paynter was born on 1818-08-19, the son of Bernard Paynter and Susannah. He emigrated from England with his family in 1828. He died in April 1904 at the age of 85 years. According to census records, he was blind for many years before his death.

see http://www.islandregister.com/taylor3.html, The Descendants of John TAYLOR - Lot 21