This is Barbados’ first voting effort post-Pandemic, in a riding which has seen changing of the guard on more than one era, who held it longer? You should ask JOSEPH JOSIAH PAYNE…

Joseph Josiah Payne was born at Rock Dundo St. James, Barbados on the 9th April 1952. Joseph Payne was better known as “Joe Payne”, and he was the seventh of eleven children born to Fitz Payne (now deceased) and Miriam Payne. His parents were great influences on his upbringing.

He attended St. Boniface Junior School (now Gordon Greenidge Primary School) and Speightstown Boys School before moving to Coleridge and Parry Secondary School to be the first boy in his family to benefit from free secondary education. His athletic ability was detected very early, when on one occasion his dad wanted to punish him. He ran away and on approaching the steps, he made one leap and landed a great distance ahead, which to this day still baffles some of his brothers.

It was at Coleridge and Parry that his real potential, character and personality became evident. He joined the Geographical Society and was a very active member of most of the student bodies of the school. Additionally, he participated in all school sports, which included cricket, football, swimming and athletics.

In the late sixties he took part in running cross country events. Joe was one of the island’s outstanding athletes in the early 1970’s and represented Barbados in athletics on many occasions both at home and abroad. In 1974, he established a national record in the Shot Putt event at a meet in Grenada. This record was broken 28 years later in 2002 by Charles Walcott. In 1989 and 1990, he represented Barbados against members of the House of Lords and Commons Cricket Team at Kensington Oval in Barbados and London respectively.

 Joe left school in 1970 and got his first job as a teacher at the Parkinson Comprehensive School. After one year Joe returned to his studies and became a solicitor’s Articled Clerk in preparation for becoming a Solicitor. He took his law exams very seriously and achieved distinction in three subjects before his admission to the bar as a lawyer in 1976. He then worked for the Trustee Branch of Barclays Bank in Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados where he gained considerable experience.

As a Politician, Joe contested the seat for the St. James North Constituency in 1981, 1986 and 1991. He was elected to the Parliament in May 1986 and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly until 1991. He served in the Senate of Barbados during the period 1991 to 1994. He was an executive member of the Democratic Labour Party at the time of his death in 1997.