William Farquhar Payson, author, was born in New York city, February 18, 1876, the son of Francis and Mary F. (Dabney) Payson and grandson of John Larkin and Frances (Lithgow) Payson, and of Charles Henry and Ellen M. (Jones) Dabney, and a descendant of Edward Payson (1614-1675). He received his preparatory education in England and in New York city; was a student at Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

, 1892-93, and in 1893 engaged in journalism. From 1893 to 1895, he was on the editorial staff of the New York Times, and managing editor of Vogue

Vogue (magazine)

Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...

, 1895-97, after which he made his home in Bristol, Rhode Island

Bristol, Rhode Island

Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....

, and gave his attention to literary work. He was married, October 27, 1897, to Mary F. King, daughter of Charles G. King of Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

. He died in 1939.

Novels

• The Copymaker, 1897
• The Title-Mongers, 1898
• John Vytal; a Tale of the Lost Colony, 1901
• The Triumph of Life, 1903
• Debonnaire, 1904
• Barry Gordon, 1908
• Periwinkle; an Idyl of the Dunes, 1910
• Love Letters of a Divorced Couple, 1915
• Give Me Tomorrow, 1935