*PEYTON NEWS 2025 ANNUAL MEETING*
Colonial Williamsburg
Arriving Thursday, May 29th,
departure Saturday May 31st
 As promised in our Summer Newsletter, here is the information on The Peyton Society of Virginia, Inc., (PSV) Annual Meeting 2025. 
A great weekend is planned for you to enjoy. This is a good time to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday, early. You will beat the crowds coming to experience Virginia and Colonial Williamsburg (CW).
There are many places to stay in Williamsburg, but the PSV has received a special rate at the Williamsburg Lodge located in CW! 
Arrival on Thursday, May 29, 2025, departure on Saturday afternoon, May 31st, for those who choose to drive to Aquia Church, Sunday for the 10:30 a.m. service.
The Williamsburg Lodge
We have a special rate for our annual meeting at The Williamsburg Lodge  located at 310 S England St., Williamsburg, VA   Reservations must be made by: April 29, 2025!
Reservation office 800.261.9530 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and refer to the group name: Peyton Society of Virginia—Block Code: 32474452
Or online: Peyton Society of VA - Start your reservation (passkey.com)
 
Rooms are $219.00 per night.  We have a block of rooms on hold. The Williamsburg Lodge is located in CW.  You can walk to many locations within CW.
 
*The Lodge is part of Marriott Hotels. When you book using points you will not get the group rate, and it will not count towards our 15 obligated rooms.
Schedule of Activities
· Thursday, 5/29/ 25  Arrivals
· Friday, 5/30/25  9:00 a.m. Annual Meeting—Open to all.
  • ·  Lunch on your own
  • · tour The House of Burgesses
  • · tour the Peyton Randolph House
  • · 6:00 p.m. dinner together at Shields Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg.  (details TBD.)
· Saturday, 5/31/25  10:00—12 noon, Peyton Exhibit and Tour The Special Collections at the Swem Library, College of William and Mary. The latest issue of the Princeton Review has the William and Mary Swem   Library ranked sixth best in the United States.
  • Our host will be James L. (Jim) Mullins. Is the Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee of the Peyton Society of Virginia, Inc., and on the Board of the Swem  Library. Dr. Mullins retired from Purdue University as Dean of Libraries and Esther Ellis Norton Professor at Purdue University. He continues as an emeritus faculty member.
  • Jay Gaidmore, MacLeod Director of Special Collections, and his staff will curate an exhibit that is associated with the Peyton family. In addition, there likely will be a tour ‘behind the scenes’ in order to see items held in the collection.
  • · Yorktown Battle Monument, whose cornerstone was laid at the 1881 centennial of the battle. The principal organizer behind the series of centennials – Bunker Hill 1875 (apparently the first such in the world), Philadelphia 1876, and Yorktown 1881 – was David Peyton’s  great-great grandfather, Jesse Peyton. David and Joy Peyton will be going Saturday afternoon.
  • Tickets for Yorktown and Jamestown may be purchased through the hotel concierge at the CW Lodge. Discounted group CW tickets currently are $27 per person and are valid for your length of stay. Please note prices may change for 2025.  Admission tickets are available 2 days prior to arrival.
  • Colonial Williamsburg is open to the public 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to stroll without a ticket.  With a ticket many buildings and tours are open from 9:00 am-9:00 pm. -9pm.  Most buildings are ADA compliant.
· Sunday 6/1/2025 10:30 a.m. Church service at Aquia Church, 2938 Richmond Hwy., Stafford, VA  22555, 703.659.4007 (drive is 1 hour 40 minutes depending on traffic).
PSV Members please promptly notify the Membership Secretary [see contact data in the Membership section] for:

(1) changes in snail mail and email contact information, to ensure receipt of all PSV notifications, including Newsletters.   PLEASE GO "GREEN" AND PROVIDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, IF YOU HAVE ONE, TO SAVE ON PSV POSTAGE COSTS.

(2) if you know of the recent death of any PSV Member.

(3) if you are not receiving desired Newsletters

NEWSLETTERS
​​​Newsletters during the year are emailed to all members, or snail mailed if we do not have an email address. The most recent newsletter can also be found in the Members Only Section.  

​PSV Members have access to certain Members Only Sections of the site herein.  The current password is found in your most recent Newsletter.

DNA TESTING-it is critical particularly that your oldest living generations get tested NOW, as DNA recombines each generation, resulting in less DNA available to match distant common ancestors. See DNA Testing under the Genealogy tab on the top ribbon for more information.

UNIDENTIFIED PHOTOS-WE ARE LOOKING FOR MEMBERS to identify individuals listed in the PSV 2004 book genealogies to unidentified photos in the PSV's possession.   Please click on Galleries to see if you may be the one who can help.  Contact the webmaster.
NON-MEMBERS
2024 ANNUAL MEETING  AND REUNION WEEKEND

​Reunion Weekend Information
 
Please read through the information below.  Note that   there is a cut-off date for lodging reservations, and a guest count for the Saturday dinner is required.   Let Annette Race know (text or call 703.732.1983) or email ([email protected]) as soon as possible which events you will attend.  We hope you will attend them all!


 

 


 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

THE PEYTON SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA, INC. (PSV) ANNUAL MEETING AND REUNION

​The Society Annual Reunion and Annual Meeting usually is held every Spring.  Peyton/Payton, and related surname descendants and their spouses and children of all faiths, whether they are Members of the PSV or not, are welcome to attend.  

The Annual Meeting and Reunion date for the following year normally will be announced at the current year Annual Meeting.

THE NEXT PEYTON SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA ANNUAL MEETING AND REUNION WEEKEND WILL BE HELD OVER THE WEEKEND OF MAY 30 -JUNE 1, 2025.

Watch for more details in your upcoming newsletter!!

Generally, and depending upon levels of anticipated participation, the reunion is structured as follows:  

Friday the day before the reunion, early arrivals who are interested in getting together for an informal dinner Friday night at a nearby restaurant, will find location instructions in the Spring Newsletter and in the Non-member Registration Form section on this page.  A hospitality room is often available Friday and /or Saturday afternoon at the selected hotel. 
 
The Annual Membership Meeting is held on Saturday.  The Membership Meeting is open to all PSV members and non-members who are thinking of joining the PSV.  

​​Saturday evening, a Dinner is held at an announced location.   

On Sunday, Members and visitors are encouraged to attend the Aquia Episcopal Church Morning Service. The Service lasts approximately forty-five minutes to one hour and is immediately followed by Graveside prayers near Peyton graves at the adjacent church cemetery, followed, if it can be arranged, by a Luncheon in the church fellowship building.  

 

2025 ANNUAL MEETING AND REUNION WEEKEND SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION FORMS , AND HOTEL INFORMATION FOR NON-MEMBERS WHO ARE THINKING OF JOINING THE PSV WILL BE POSTED TO THE SECTION ON THE LEFT OF THIS PAGE, WHEN AVAILABLE:

Peyton Society Pins, Ties, Necklaces, and Thumb drives of the Peytons of Virginia II book and its Additional Data will be available for purchase on both Saturday and Sunday of the Reunion.

Please plan to attend the Annual Reunion, you will be very welcome!  

Aquia Church, Stafford, Virginia is the historical "home" of the Peyton branch that founded the PSV.  

​Aquia Church: 2938 Richmond Hwy., Rt 1, Stafford, VA 22554. 
USEFUL LINKS
​
FindAGrave:  Volunteer Contributors post photos, information, and family unit links to grave sites in cemeteries throughout the United States and other countries.  For example, the earliest known grave in the Payton HG line is Jacob Payton; Find A Grave #91122531.  If you have like irreplaceable or one of a kind information or photos in your personal possession, please consider sharing it with others by becoming a Contributor.  FindaGrave is currently owned by Ancestry.com
www.findagrave.com

Facebook (Fb): The Peyton Society of Virginia (PSV) currently maintains a page on Facebook.   However the PSV site herein; the www.peytonsocietyva.org is the Official site of the Society.   As such, only material, including photos, directly submitted to the PSV site will be considered for  Society record keeping.  Our Fb site serves as a forum for messages relating to the Peyton family, not for genealogical photos.  www.facebook.com/Peyton-Society-of-Virginia-145432418861859/

Rootsweb:  A Peyton Email discussion list has been established.  If you wish to subscribe, send an Email to [email protected] , and in the body include only one word: SUBSCRIBE. This mode will send individual queries and messages to you.

​Local Places to Explore near our annual reunions:

Mount Vernon
https://www.mountvernon.org/
Home of George and Martha Washington

Mount Vernon Distillery and Grist Mill
https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/distillery-gristmill/

Old Town Alexandria
https://visitalexandria.com

Occoquan
https://historicprincewilliam.org/county-history/structures/history-of-occoquan.html

Gunston Hall
George Mason’s Home
https://gunstonhall.org/

Mount Vernon Trail
https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/mtvernontrail.htm
The Mount Vernon Trail winds alongside the Potomac River offering uninterrupted views of Washington, D.C.'s skyline. A run, walk, or cycle along the trail leads to all of the same sites that can be reached by car on the parallel section of the parkway.

Fort Hunt Park
https://www.nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/forthunt.htm
Originally part of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, the land that is Fort Hunt Park has undergone several transformations. Batteries at Fort Hunt defended the Potomac River during the Spanish American War; the Civilian Conservation Corps operated a camp there during the Great Depression; and soldiers at Fort Hunt interrogated prisoners, trained pilots in escape and evasion, and combed German documents for intelligence during World War II. Today it is a favorite spot for picnicking.

This area has many historic sites. There is plenty to do.

​We are just south of Washington, DC if you want to go a little further. We have a METRO transit system that will take you to the National Mall.

The Smithsonian is located on the mall and is free.