The 2-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander William Payne, Royal Navy, who was Midshipman aboard the Phaeton at the Glorious First of June, and Master’s Mate aboard the Queen Charlotte at Lord Bridport’s action on 23rd June 1795.



Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, 1 June 1794, 23rd June 1795 (W. Payne, Master’s Mate.) extremely fine £10,000-£14,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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Glendining’s, February 1923; Sotheby, March 1980.

Confirmed on the rolls as Midshipman aboard H.M.S. Phaeton at the Glorious First of June, and as Master’s Mate aboard H.M.S. Queen Charlotte at Lord Bridport’s action on 23rd June 1795.

William Payne was born in October 1773 and joined the Navy on 29 September 1789, as Midshipman, on board the Falcon sloop, Captain Laugharne, on the Home station, where he next, in succession, joined the Resistance 44, Captain Hewit, Falcon again, Captains Bligh and Eastwood, and Alcide and Bedford 74’s, Captains Sir Andrew Snape Douglas and Sir Andrew Snape Hamond. Rejoining Sir Andrew Snape Douglas, in January 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 Captain William Bentinck, in the action of 1 June 1794, he removed to the Queen Charlotte 100, commanded by his old Captain, Sir Andrew Snape 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, Captain Lord Hugh Seymour. He was confirmed (as soon as he had passed his examination) into the Aquilon 32, Captain Cracraft, 9 October following; and was subsequently appointed, 15 December 1797, to the Maidstone 32, Captains Matthews, Ross Donnelly, Richard Hussey Moubray, and Hon. Geo. Elliott; 17 December 1804, to the Sea Fencibles at Weymouth; 11 December 1806, to the Modeste 36, Captain Hon. G. Elliot; 20 Feb.ruary 1808, to the Culloden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pellew; and, 25 January 1809, again to the Modeste, still commanded by Captain 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, Captain 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. A slight attack of liver-complaint, added to the disappointments he had experienced, induced him, in December 1809, to invalid. He did not again go afloat, but accepted, 26 November 1830, the rank of Retired Commander on the Junior List. He was transferred to the Senior List 23 December 1835, and appears to have died circa 1852-54.