Gaiété, Capts. Fanshawe and Briggs; and in April, 1803, and March, 1806, he became Senior of the Immortalité and Clyde frigates, both commanded by the present Sir Edw. Wm. Campbell Rich Owen. During his servitude in the Immortalité he assisted at the bombardment of Dieppe and St. Valery-en-Caux 14 Sept. 1803;[1] and on that and other occasions displayed so much merit that he was the constant theme of his Captain’s praise. Independently of being slightly wounded at the boarding and capture of one of the enemy’s vessels, we may mention that he commanded a division of rocket-boats sent in to attempt the destruction of the tower and flotilla at Boulogne, also one of the store-ships ordered to be sunk at the entrance of the harbour at that place, and, 2 Oct. 1804, one of the principal explosion vessels employed in a renewed attack upon the flotilla there stationed.[2] In an action fought on 23 of the latter month with the enemy’s flotilla between Capes Blanc Nez and Gris Nez, Mr. Payne, although ill, stuck to his quarters, and by his zealous exertions attracted much attention.[3] Attaining the rank of Commander 26 Dec. 1806, he was in that capacity appointed to the Adelphi rocket-ship, and, after 12 months of half-pay, to the Cretan 16. In the Adelphi, we understand, he passed the Dardanells with Sir John Thos. Duckworth in Feb. 1807; and in the Cretan, to which vessel he was appointed 26 Sept. 1809, he was highly eulogised for the manner in which he led a squadron of frigates and sloops through the Wielinge Passage, past the fortifications of Flushing and Breskens, to a safe anchorage off Cadsand. On leaving the Cretan, Capt. Payne (who had captured in her, 28 Oct. 1810, the Neptune Danish privateer of 5 guns and 24 men) was promoted, 7 June, 1814, to Post-rank. In the following Dec. he proceeded to the Canadian lakes, for the purpose of assuming command of the St. Lawrence 98 as Flag-Captain to Sir Edw. W. C. E. Owen, then on the eve of opening a campaign against the American Commodore Chauncey. The intelligence of peace, however, arriving before the ice had broken up, he was ordered to superintend the dismantling of the squadron and the placing of their stores and guns in a state of readiness for immediate use. He returned to England in Dec. 1815; and, not having been since afloat, was induced, 1 Oct. 1846, to accept the Retirement.
Capt. Payne married in July, 1817, and has issue seven children.
PAYNE. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 16; h-p., 32.)
Richard Payne entered the Navy, 26 Feb. 1799, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Caesar 80, Capt. (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Sir Jas. Saumarez; under whom, in July, 1801, he fought in the actions off Algeciras and in the Gut of Gibraltar. In Aug. 1802 he left the Caesar. He was next, between Sept. 1803 and Dec. 1812, employed in the Channel and Baltic on board the San Josef 110, Hibernia 110, Diomede 50, and Victory 100, flag-ships of Sir Chas. Cotton, Earl St. Vincent, and Sir Jas. Saumarez; he then joined the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Geo. Burlton, lying at Portsmouth; and in March, 1814, after having again served for 12 months in the Baltic, part of the time as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Ariel sloop, Capt. Dan. Ross, he was nominated Acting-Master (he had been for three months Second-Master of the Victory) of the Harrier 16, Capts. Andrew Pellet Green, John Forbes, and Sir Chas. Thos. Jones. In the latter vessel he took part in the grand naval review held before the Allied Sovereigns at Portsmouth, and was afterwards sent on a cruize among the Canary Islands. He was advanced to his present rank 13 Feb. 1815; and has since been on half-pay.
PAYNE. (Retired Commander, 1835. f-p., 20; h-p., 38.)
William Payne, born in Oct. 1773, is brother of Capt. C. F. Payne, R.N.; and uncle of Capts. P. T. M. and G. B. Payne, both of the R.M., also of W. C. H. Payne, Esq., Second-Master R.N. (1845), and of Lieut. C. B. Payne, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 Sept. 1789, as Midshipman, on board the Falcon sloop, Capt. Laugharne, on the Home station, where he next, in succession, joined the Resistance 44, Capt. Hewit, Falcon again, Capts. Bligh and Eastwood, and Alcide and Bedford 74’s, Capts. Sir And. Snape Douglas and Sir And. Snape Hamond. Rejoining Sir And. Snape Douglas, in Jan. 1792, on board the Phaeton 38, he assisted in that ship at the capture, in the course of the following year, of Le Général Dumourier of 22 guns and 196 men, having on board 2,040,000 dollars; her prize, the St. Jago, laden with a cargo worth nearly 300,000l.; La Prompte frigate of 28 guns and 180 men; another privateer; of 16 guns and 60 men; and La Blonde national corvette of 24 guns. After sharing, under the command of Capt. Wm. Bentinck, in the action of 1 June, 1794, he removed to the Queen Charlotte 100, commanded by his old Captain, Sir A. S. Douglas; at whose recommendation, for his conduct in Lord Bridport’s rencontre with the French fleet off Ile de Groix, he was nominated, 6 July, 1795, Acting-Lieutenant of the Sans Pareil 80, Capt. Lord Hugh Seymour. He was confirmed (as soon as he had passed his examination) into the Aquilon 32, Capt. Cracraft, 9 Oct. following; and was subsequently appointed – 15 Dec. 1797, to the Maidstone 32, Capts. Matthews, Ross Donnelly, Rich. Hussey Moubray, and Hon. Geo. Elliott – 17 Dec. 1804, to the Sea Fencibles at Weymouth – 11 Dec. 1806, to the Modeste 36, Capt. Hon. G. Elliot – 20 Feb. 1808, to the Culloden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew – and, 25 Jan. 1809, again to the Modeste, still commanded by Capt. Elliot. While stationed, in the Aquilon, in the West Indies, Mr. Payne was severely attacked by the yellow fever. In 1798, during his homeward passage in the Maidstone, Capt. Matthews died; but, notwithstanding he was at the time First-Lieutenant, he received neither additional pay nor promotion. Continuing in the Maidstone until appointed, as above, to the Sea Fencibles, he was in consequence in that ship when she was sent with the treaty of peace to the Mediterranean. Although, in 1807, at which period he was Senior of the Modeste, he escorted the Governor-General of India to the seat of his government, he was again disappointed of the promotion which had always been customary on occasions of the kind. He was, however, appointed First of the Culloden; but the latter being ordered to England before an opportunity of effecting his advancement had occurred, he went back to the Modeste, in command of the boats of which ship and the Barracouta he succeeded, 15 July, 1810, in cutting out, from under the protection of two batteries and five armed vessels, in a bay in the Straits of Sunda, the Dutch schooner Tuyncelaar of 8 guns and 22 men.[4] A slight attack of liver-complaint, added to the disappointments he had experienced, induced him, in Dec. 1809, to invalid. He did not again go afloat, but accepted, 26 Nov. 1830, the rank of Retired Commander on the Junior List. He was transferred to the Senior List 23 Dec. 1835.
At the close of the French revolutionary war Commander Payne suggested to Lord St. Vincent then First Lord of the Admiralty, the necessity of placing the surplus stores of ships under the charge of their respective warrant officers. On the paying off of the fleet the plan was carried into execution and a great saving to the country thereby effected. The Commander married, in 1841, Cecilia, only child of J. Glendinning, Esq., by whom he has issue a son. An only child by a former marriage is the wife of the Rev. Wm. H. Gorton.
PAYNE. (Lieutenant, 1845.)
William Henry Payne passed his examination 5 Dec. 1837; and, after having served for some years on the Mediterranean and Home stations, as Mate, in the Gorgon steamer, Capt. Wm. Honyman
