John Willett Payne
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral John Willett Payne (23 April 1752 – 17 November 1803) was a senior, veteran officer of the British Navy
who also served as a close friend, advisor and courtier to Prince George
before and during his first regency. Payne was notorious as a rake and scoundrel, but was also a Member of Parliament
and noted for his bravery in several military actions during the American Revolutionary War
and the French Revolutionary Wars
. Out of favour in his later years, Payne was reconciled with the Prince in 1799, but died whilst still in the service aged 51, from an illness which developed during blockade operations in the Western Approaches
.
would later become Baron Lavington. Payne was educated at Dr. Bracken's Academy in Greenwich
and later attended the Royal Naval Academy
at Portsmouth
to train as an officer. During this time he became friends with Hugh Seymour Conway, with whom he had a lifelong friendship and close naval partnership. In 1769 he left the academy to join HMS Quebec
.
Quebec served in the West Indies but after only a few months Payne moved to the ship of the line
HMS Montagu
before returning to Britain in 1773 aboard the sloop
HMS Falcon
. Payne briefly joined HMS Egmont
but soon was attached to the large frigate
HMS Rainbow for a cruise to the Guinea Coast. In 1775 he was back in England, where he passed for lieutenant
aboard Egmont.
in 1775, Payne joined HMS Bristol
and participated in the Battle of Sullivan's Island
under the command of Sir Peter Parker
. Shortly afterward, Payne joined HMS Eagle
in New York
to serve as Lord Howe's
aide-de-camp. In 1777, Payne joined HMS Brune and the following year transferred to HMS Phoenix in which he participated in numerous coastal operations on the Eastern Seaboard.
Payne returned to Britain aboard HMS Roebuck and in Britain served aboard HMS Romney
. He impressed Commodore George Johnstone in this duty and in 1779 was made commander
of the sloop HMS Cormorant. The following year, Payne was promoted to post captain and took over the prize frigate HMS Artois which he commanded in European waters. He was also embroiled in a scandal when he was accused of impressing
Portuguese citizens out of merchant ships in the Tagus
.
In 1781, Payne sailed to the Jamaica
station in HMS Enterprize
and the following year took over HMS Leander
. In Leander, Payne fought a duel with a much larger enemy ship in which both vessels were severely damaged. The identity of the other ship was never established, but Payne was given the 80-gun HMS Princess Amelia
as a reward. At the war's conclusion, Payne returned to Europe and Princess Amelia was paid off.
. After acting as companion to Lord Northington on a Grand Tour of Europe in 1785, Payne returned to the service of the Prince as his private secretary and Keeper of the Privy Seal. Payne also ran the Prince's household and lent money to Lord Sandwich
, who was obliged to obtain for Payne the parliamentary seat of Huntingdon
, which he held from 1787 to 1796. During this period he was appointed captain of HMS Phoenix
but never served at sea, drawing the pay whilst pursuing his other duties.
Following the succession crisis of 1788 when King George III was struck down by porphyria
, Payne was an active supporter of the Prince of Wales's regency. Payne corresponded closely with other supporters but also participated in the Prince's frequent and extravagant masques and entertainments. He also helped conspire in the Prince's illegal marriage to Maria Fitzherbert and was once rebuked by the Duchess of Gordon
in the terms "You little, insignificant, good-for-nothing, upstart, pert chattering puppy" after being overheard making insulting comments about the Queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
.
, called Payne to see once more. Taking command of HMS Russell
in 1793, Payne joined the Channel Fleet
under Lord Howe and the following year participated in the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
. Howe was attempting to chase down a French fleet guarding a grain convoy in the mid-Atlantic and after a month of sparring, caught the French on 28 May. Payne's ship was with the flying squadron under Thomas Pasley sent to engage the French and Russell fought well in this action and the following day. In the culminating engagement, the Glorious First of June
, Payne's ship was heavily engaged and fought a succession of French ships, inflicting severe damage and making a great contribution to the eventual victory.
In the aftermath of the action, Payne was rewarded with a gold medal and in 1795 was tasked with escorting the Prince of Wales's official wife, Caroline of Brunswick
to Britain. Payne became friends with Caroline, and the bitter marriage between her and the Prince angered Payne. In addition, Payne had earned the enmity of Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey
and these factors combined to alienate him from the Prince, who dismissed Payne from all his offices in 1796.
The same year, Payne took command of HMS Impetueux, one of the ships he had captured at the Glorious First of June two years before. In her Payne led a squadron the blockade of Brest until 1799, seeing no significant action and suffering from increasing ill-health as a result of the arduous service. In January 1799, Payne retired ashore and was reconciled with the Prince, who described their relationship as "an old and steady friendship of upwards of twenty years standing". In February Payne was made rear-admiral, but it was becoming clear that he was no longer fit for sea service.
Retiring to the prestige post of treasurer of the Royal Naval Hospital
at Greewich, Payne was actually a patient at the hospital for his last years, and plans for him to move into one of the Prince's residences at Carlton House
came to nothing. Payne died in 1803 at the hospital from the strain of his long-service, and was buried at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster
. He never married and had no children, however had been one of the lovers of Emma Lyons who later became Lady Hamilton.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who also served as a close friend, advisor and courtier to Prince George
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
before and during his first regency. Payne was notorious as a rake and scoundrel, but was also a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and noted for his bravery in several military actions during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. Out of favour in his later years, Payne was reconciled with the Prince in 1799, but died whilst still in the service aged 51, from an illness which developed during blockade operations in the Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
.
Early career
Payne was born in 1752, son of Ralph Payne, Chief Justice of St Kitts and his wife Margaret née Gallaway. His elder brother Ralph PayneRalph Payne, 1st Baron Lavington
Ralph Payne, 1st Baron Lavington KB PC was a British politician and Governor of the Leeward Islands.-Early life and education:...
would later become Baron Lavington. Payne was educated at Dr. Bracken's Academy in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
and later attended the Royal Naval Academy
Royal Naval Academy
The Royal Naval Academy was established at Portsmouth Dockyard as a facility to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders' intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, education and admission.-Training:In 1773, a shore side...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to train as an officer. During this time he became friends with Hugh Seymour Conway, with whom he had a lifelong friendship and close naval partnership. In 1769 he left the academy to join HMS Quebec
HMS Quebec
Three ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Quebec, after the city of Quebec in Canada:Ships was a 32-gun fifth rate launched in 1760 and blown up in action with French in 1779. was a schooner purchased in 1775 and wrecked later that year...
.
Quebec served in the West Indies but after only a few months Payne moved to the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Montagu
HMS Montagu
Several ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Montagu or HMS Montague:, a 52-gun frigate launched in 1654 as Lyme, renamed in 1660, rebuilt in 1698 and 1716 and broken up in 1749., a 74-gun third rate launched in 1779 and broken up in 1818., a launched in 1901 and wrecked in 1906....
before returning to Britain in 1773 aboard the sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
HMS Falcon
HMS Falcon
Twenty-two ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Falcon. They are named after an exceptionally fast bird of prey.*HMS Falcon was a "ballinger" dating from 1334...
. Payne briefly joined HMS Egmont
HMS Egmont (1768)
HMS Egmont was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 29 August 1768 at Deptford. She was designed by Sir Thomas Slade, and was the only ship built to her draught....
but soon was attached to the large frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Rainbow for a cruise to the Guinea Coast. In 1775 he was back in England, where he passed for lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
aboard Egmont.
American Revolutionary War
With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
in 1775, Payne joined HMS Bristol
HMS Bristol (1775)
HMS Bristol was a fourth-rate ship with 50 guns, launched in 1775. During the American War of Independence, she was Sir Peter Parker's flagship during the attack on Sullivan's Island on June 28, 1776 and was heavily damaged during the battle. Later in the war, she was stationed off Jamaica, and...
and participated in the Battle of Sullivan's Island
Battle of Sullivan's Island
The Battle of Sullivan's Island or the Battle of Fort Sullivan was fought on June 28, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence. It took place near Charleston, South Carolina, during the first British attempt to capture the city from American rebels...
under the command of Sir Peter Parker
Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet was a British naval officer.-Naval career:Peter Parker was born probably in Ireland. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1743 and captain in 1747. In 1761, he took command of HMS Buckingham and helped cover operations on Belle Île...
. Shortly afterward, Payne joined HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (1774)
HMS Eagle was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 2 May 1774 at Rotherhithe.On 7 September 1776, the experimental American submarine Turtle, under the guidance of Army volunteer Sergeant Ezra Lee, attacked HMS Eagle, which was moored off what is today called Liberty...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to serve as Lord Howe's
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
aide-de-camp. In 1777, Payne joined HMS Brune and the following year transferred to HMS Phoenix in which he participated in numerous coastal operations on the Eastern Seaboard.
Payne returned to Britain aboard HMS Roebuck and in Britain served aboard HMS Romney
HMS Romney (1762)
HMS Romney was a 50-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned forty years....
. He impressed Commodore George Johnstone in this duty and in 1779 was made commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the sloop HMS Cormorant. The following year, Payne was promoted to post captain and took over the prize frigate HMS Artois which he commanded in European waters. He was also embroiled in a scandal when he was accused of impressing
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
Portuguese citizens out of merchant ships in the Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
.
In 1781, Payne sailed to the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
station in HMS Enterprize
HMS Enterprize (1774)
The fifth HMS Enterprise , 28 guns, was the name ship of a class of twenty-seven sixth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy...
and the following year took over HMS Leander
HMS Leander (1780)
HMS Leander was a Portland-class 50-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy, launched at Chatham on 1 July 1780. She served on the West Coast of Africa, West Indies, and the Halifax station. During the French Revolutionary Wars she participated in the Battle of the Nile before a French ship captured her....
. In Leander, Payne fought a duel with a much larger enemy ship in which both vessels were severely damaged. The identity of the other ship was never established, but Payne was given the 80-gun HMS Princess Amelia
HMS Princess Amelia (1757)
HMS Princess Amelia was an 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment, and launched on 7 March 1757....
as a reward. At the war's conclusion, Payne returned to Europe and Princess Amelia was paid off.
Royal service
During the early 1780s, Payne had formed a friendship with the rakish heir to the throne, George, Prince of WalesGeorge IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. After acting as companion to Lord Northington on a Grand Tour of Europe in 1785, Payne returned to the service of the Prince as his private secretary and Keeper of the Privy Seal. Payne also ran the Prince's household and lent money to Lord Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...
, who was obliged to obtain for Payne the parliamentary seat of Huntingdon
Huntingdon (UK Parliament constituency)
Huntingdon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, which he held from 1787 to 1796. During this period he was appointed captain of HMS Phoenix
HMS Phoenix (1783)
HMS Phoenix was a 36-gun Perseverance-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. The shipbuilder George Parsons built her at Bursledon and launched her on 15 July 1783. She served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and was instrumental in the events leading up to the battle of Trafalgar...
but never served at sea, drawing the pay whilst pursuing his other duties.
Following the succession crisis of 1788 when King George III was struck down by porphyria
Porphyria
Porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired disorders of certain enzymes in the heme bio-synthetic pathway . They are broadly classified as acute porphyrias and cutaneous porphyrias, based on the site of the overproduction and accumulation of the porphyrins...
, Payne was an active supporter of the Prince of Wales's regency. Payne corresponded closely with other supporters but also participated in the Prince's frequent and extravagant masques and entertainments. He also helped conspire in the Prince's illegal marriage to Maria Fitzherbert and was once rebuked by the Duchess of Gordon
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon was a significant Scottish Tory political hostess.-Life:The wife of Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon, she was second daughter of Sir William Maxwell, third baronet of Monreith, Wigtownshire, by his wife Magdalen Blair of Blair. She was born in Hyndford's Close,...
in the terms "You little, insignificant, good-for-nothing, upstart, pert chattering puppy" after being overheard making insulting comments about the Queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
.
French Revolutionary Wars
The King's recovery, combined with the outbreak of the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, called Payne to see once more. Taking command of HMS Russell
HMS Russell (1764)
HMS Russell was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 November 1764 at Deptford.In 1782, she was commanded by Captain James Saumarez at the Battle of the Saintes. In 1794 she was part of Admiral Howe's fleet at the Glorious First of June, and in the following year...
in 1793, Payne joined the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
under Lord Howe and the following year participated in the Atlantic campaign of May 1794
Atlantic campaign of May 1794
The Atlantic campaign of May 1794 was a series of operations conducted by the British Royal Navy's Channel Fleet against the French Navy's Atlantic Fleet, with the aim of preventing the passage of a strategically important French grain convoy travelling from the United States to France...
. Howe was attempting to chase down a French fleet guarding a grain convoy in the mid-Atlantic and after a month of sparring, caught the French on 28 May. Payne's ship was with the flying squadron under Thomas Pasley sent to engage the French and Russell fought well in this action and the following day. In the culminating engagement, the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, Payne's ship was heavily engaged and fought a succession of French ships, inflicting severe damage and making a great contribution to the eventual victory.
In the aftermath of the action, Payne was rewarded with a gold medal and in 1795 was tasked with escorting the Prince of Wales's official wife, Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline of Brunswick
Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was the Queen consort of King George IV of the United Kingdom from 29 January 1820 until her death...
to Britain. Payne became friends with Caroline, and the bitter marriage between her and the Prince angered Payne. In addition, Payne had earned the enmity of Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey
Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey
Frances Villiers, Countess of Jersey was one of the more notorious of the many mistresses of King George IV when he was Prince of Wales, "a scintillating society woman, a heady mix of charm, beauty, and sarcasm".-Early life:She was born Frances Twysden, second and posthumous daughter of the Rev...
and these factors combined to alienate him from the Prince, who dismissed Payne from all his offices in 1796.
The same year, Payne took command of HMS Impetueux, one of the ships he had captured at the Glorious First of June two years before. In her Payne led a squadron the blockade of Brest until 1799, seeing no significant action and suffering from increasing ill-health as a result of the arduous service. In January 1799, Payne retired ashore and was reconciled with the Prince, who described their relationship as "an old and steady friendship of upwards of twenty years standing". In February Payne was made rear-admiral, but it was becoming clear that he was no longer fit for sea service.
Retiring to the prestige post of treasurer of the Royal Naval Hospital
Royal Naval Hospital
A Royal Naval Hospital was a hospital operated by the British Royal Navy. No Royal Naval Hospitals survive as such, although some have become civilian hospitals and one remains as a tri-service military hospital.Royal Naval Hospitals included:...
at Greewich, Payne was actually a patient at the hospital for his last years, and plans for him to move into one of the Prince's residences at Carlton House
Carlton House
Carlton House was a mansion in London, best known as the town residence of the Prince Regent for several decades from 1783. It faced the south side of Pall Mall, and its gardens abutted St. James's Park in the St James's district of London...
came to nothing. Payne died in 1803 at the hospital from the strain of his long-service, and was buried at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster
St. Margaret's, Westminster
The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London...
. He never married and had no children, however had been one of the lovers of Emma Lyons who later became Lady Hamilton.