John Pender Paynter

Who was John Pender Paynter?

Commander John Pender Paynter R.N. of Trekenning House, St Columb Major, Cornwall, was an officer of the British Royal Navy noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1815 Paynter was appointed Flag Lieutenant to Lord Exmouth on HMS Boyne. In 1816 during the Bombardment of Algiers, Paynter was sent ashore in an attempt to secure the release of Christian slaves and to demand the release from custody of a Colonel Macdonald, the English Consul but was himself seized by the Dey and lodged in the Black Hole. However, the menacing attitude assumed by the British Fleet assured his release.