Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Basque Roads 1809, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814 (John P. Paynter, Lieut. R.N.) fitted with gold ribbon buckle, extremely fine £10000-12000

John Pender Paynter was born in Cornwall on 1 November 1788, and entered the Royal Navy in February 1804 as a First Class Volunteer in H.M.S. San Josef, attaining the rating of Midshipman in August of the same year. He was employed in the blockade of Brest up to January 1806, when he joined H.M.S. Indefatigable, taking part in Lord Cochrane’s attack upon the French fleet in the Aix Roads in April 1809 when, on the 12th of that month he was for upwards of ten hours under fire of the enemy’s batteries, and for 50 minutes engaged in close action with the Ville de Varsovie 80, which ship had run on shore the previous evening. He joined the San Josef again in February 1810 and in the following August was made Lieutenant into the Euryalus 36. In this frigate, under Captain Dundas, he took part in several battery actions on the coast of Calabria; and under Captain Napier he contributed to the capture, on 16 May 1813, of La Fortune national xebec, of ten guns, four swivels and 95 men, together with some twenty sail of merchantmen lying in the harbour of Cavalarie.

In the following winter he assisted in simultaneously driving on shore, in Calvi Bay, the Balleine French store-ship of 22 guns and 120 men, and compelling a gaberre of 30 guns and 150 men, laden with stores, and a national schooner of the largest class, to seek refuge under the land batteries.

In 1814 Lieutenant Paynter accompanied a fleet of transports to North America and was afterwards present at the capture, up the Patuxent river, of Fort Washington, and the capitulation of Alexandria. In March 1815 he was appointed Flag-Lieutenant to Lord Exmouth in H.M.S. Boyne, was present that year at the surrender of Naples, and afterwards visited the Barbary States for the purpose of endeavouring to procure the release of Christian slaves. At Algiers, being sent on shore to demand the release from custody of the English Consul, Colonel Macdonald, he was himself seized by the Dey, and lodged in the Black Hole. However, the menacing attitude assumed by the British fleet procured his release and Paynter returned to England, consequently missing the bombardment and capitulation of Algiers. He was advanced to the rank of Commander in November 1816 and placed on half-pay.