Charles Payson

{{Short description|American diplomat (1837–1913)}}

{{About||the owner of the New York Mets|Charles Shipman Payson}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}

Charles Payson (May 2, 1837 – July 11, 1913), of Massachusetts,{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/anamericanalman04compgoog |title=American Almanac and Treasury of Facts, Statistical, Financial, and Political, for the Year 1880 |first=Ainsworth Rand |last=Spofford |author-link=Ainsworth Rand Spofford |year=1880 |page=[https://archive.org/details/anamericanalman04compgoog/page/n146 147] |publisher=American News Company}} was a United States diplomat. He served as United States Third Assistant Secretary of State from June 22, 1878 to June 30, 1881.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=idBzGjwjVGIC&pg=PA191 |first=Elmer |last=Pischke |title=U.S. Department of State: A Reference History |year=1999 |page=191 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=9780313291265}}

Payson was born in Messina, Sicily on May 2, 1837.

In 1881, United States Secretary of State James G. Blaine removed Payson from office so that his son, Walker Blaine, could become Third Secretary.{{cite book |first=Stephen |last=Hess |author-link=Stephen Hess |title=America's Political Dynasties |publisher=Transaction Publishers |year=1997 |page=141 |isbn=9781560009115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n4HZVCTQvkEC}} At that time, Payson became U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Denmark, holding that office from August 12, 1881 to February 23, 1882.{{cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/payson-charles |title=Charles Payson (?–1913) |work=State Dept.'s Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs |publisher=United States Department of State |access-date=20 May 2019}}

After the ending of Payson's diplomatic duties in 1882, the Paysons lived mainly in Europe.{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1895/10/29/106071236.pdf |title=Raymond Le Ghait's Wedding |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 29, 1895 |access-date=20 May 2019 |location=Washington}} Payson died at the {{ill|Hôtel Bernascon|fr}} in Aix-les-Bains, France on July 11, 1913.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/48300793/charles-payson/ |title=Charles Payson |newspaper=The Sun |location=Aix-les-Bains |page=7 |date=1913-07-12 |access-date=2020-04-09 |via=Newspapers.com}} His remains were transported to Vevey, Switzerland, where he was buried.

Payson's wife Fanny was the daughter of Governor of Wisconsin Cadwallader C. Washburn.{{cite web |url=http://www.adolf-cluss.org/index.php?lang=en&topSub=washington&content=w&sub=3.5.39 |title=Profile of Fanny Washburn Payson House |work=adolf-cluss.org |access-date=20 May 2019}}