Page last updated	16 Mar 2002		John de Camborne Paynter
Relationship to me:	Great Great Uncle	Gen -3
Born:	10 May 1844 probably in Penzance Cornwall
Died:	3 Sept 1915
Age	71
Father:	Francis Paynter (of Clarence House, Penzance)	1789 - 1863
Mother:	Catherine Augusta Coleman	1811 - 1880
Brothers:	(older) Francis Edward	1841 - 1909
	Charles Paulet	1842 - 1863
	(younger) Henry Augustus	1846 - 1919
	Thomas Beville	1847 - 1917
	William Rouse	1849 - 1860
	James Bernard	1852 - 1927
	Fredrick Octavius	1854 - 1871
Sisters:	None
Married:	Margaret Patterson m.4/8/1875	1875 - 1906?
Children:	John de Camborne Stackhouse	1876 - 1919
	Col William Patterson Paynter (see photo below)	1877 - 1937
	Pendarvis	killed in WW1
	Paul (see photo below)	????

Outline his Life:

It appears that John de Camborne Paynter attended Exeter Free Grammar School. This is based on a message received in April 2008 from Ann Roberts who reported that she is in possession of "a small red hardback volume entitled ‘Silvershell or the Life of an Oyster’ which was presented to John de Camborne Paynter by the Headmaster of Exeter Free Grammar School at Christmas 1856, ‘for improvement in German’. I acquired it on ebay – it has a very nice bookplate in it. I presume it belonged to Francis Paynter’s son, whose age would be about eleven at the time, rather than some other John de Camborne Paynter." (I'm sure she's right - the name cannot have been very common.) Most likely John's brothers would have attended the same school.

John moved to Alnwyck sometime after his brother Henry settled there and became a partner (or associate) of Henry's law practice. He married Margaret Patterson, and had two sons: Col William Patterson Paynter D.S.O. (1877 - 1937), and John De Cambourne Stackhouse (1876 - 1919).

My father's Reminscences include the following anecdote relating to John de Camborne and his sons (dating to around 1907):

"The owner of Belvedere was my grandfather's elder brother, John. He was shorter and sported only a clipped black beard he seemed to subsist without a job, spending his time growing exquisite carnations in the greenhouse. He was at times cursed with gout in one foot, which he rested bandaged on a footstool. There would be terror in his eyes as I approached lest I should knock it.

Uncle John was a widower with four grown-up sons. One Camborne, a sporting type, was often home. The Paynters came from Cornwall but Camborne's speech affected the Geordie. Bill was a horse gunner, having retained his commission after volunteering for the South African war. He served largely in India with Q battery R.H.A., and became renowned one year for winning the Khadir Cup, the major pig-sticking trophy at Meerut. I saw the monstrous silver bauble in Belvedere. Later, after we had moved to Northwood, he stayed with us while recuperating from a liver abscess operation at 'Sister Agnes'. Later still, after retirement, when I must have been either at Woolwich or Chatham, he gave me lunch at the 'In and Out' followed by a trip to Twickenham for the Army and Navy match. The third and fourth sons I never met, neither Pendarvis, who was killed in WW1, nor Peter Paul."

Ray Farnsworth offers the following additional comments about John de C: "Forster was a solicitor in Alnwick BEFORE Henry et al arrived in the town. The firm was Forster and Paynter initially. Forster died before Henry's brother,John de Cambourne Paynter arrived. He lived in a house called Belvedere, just 300 yards nearer the town centre and became Partner??? with Henry. Or, I believe more likely, a senior clerk. He was more prudent with his cash than Henry (fewer daughters to support and not trying quite so hard to " keep up with the Jones"). I vaguely remember that Forster also lived in Belvedere (a gorgeous terraced Georgian set of houses) but I must check that comment. Both Henry and John de C had longish flowing beards and were both tall".

Photos of William and Paul, from an album in my possession.
William is described as "Later Lt.Col. R.H.A. - Winner of the Kadir Cup at Meerut for pig-sticking before First World War

Post Script: Wikipedia has an entry for a John de Camborne Paynter, a "World War I Royal Naval Air Service flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his valour before being killed in a bombing raid". He was born in 1898, and his mother's name was Alexandra Laura Paynter. Given the unusual name, it is not unlikely that he was a grandson of John de Camborne Paynter, and perhaps a son of John de Camborne Stackhouse Paynter.

Page updated 27 Mar 2012: Post Script added with reference to the WW1 flying ace named John de Camborne Paynter..
Page updated 4 Jun 2008: Photos of Willam and Paul added..
Updated 1 May 2008: Date of death of William Rouse Paynter changed from 1866 to 1860. Note added about attendance at Exeter Free Grammar School.