John Willett Payne

John Willett Payne
John Willett Payne (Henry Bone, 1804)
Born	23 April 1752 (1752-04-23) St Kitts, Leeward Islands
Died	17 November 1803(1803-11-17) (aged 51) Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1767 to 1803
Rank	Rear-Admiral
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Sullivan's Island Battle of Lake Pontchartrain French Revolutionary Wars Glorious First of June
Other work	MP for Huntingdon, 1787–1796

John Willett Payne (23 April 1752 – 17 November 1803) was an officer of the Royal 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.