A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Baynton, Benjamin
BAYNTON. (Commander, 1841, f-p., 20; h-p., 26.)
Benjamin Baynton, born 17 Sept. 1789, in Wales, is son of the late Major Benj. Baynton, of Duncannon Fort.
This officer entered;the Navy, 3 Nov. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol, on board the Flora 36, Capt. Edw. Kendall, lying off Lymington; and, on subsequently proceeding to the Mediterranean, in the Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Nelson, in which he assisted at the capture of the French 32-gun frigate Ambuscade, became Midshipman, in Aug. 1803, of the Amphion 32, Capt. Sam. Sutton, under whom we find him contributing to the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure, and the destruction of a fourth, off Cape St. Mary, 5 Oct. 1804. While next attached to the Halcyon 16, Capt. Henry Whitmarsh Pearse, he was on four occasions engaged with divisions of Spanish gunboats – assisted, during an encounter with an armed vessel off Malaga, in taking the enemy’s launch, 17 Oct. 1805 – was instrumental in effecting the capture, after a gallant action with three privateers, of the largest, the Neptuno Dios de los Mares, of 14 guns and 72 men, 13 Dec. 1806 – commanded a mortar-boat in an attack on the French batteries at Scylla, in Feb. 1808 – was constantly, from 12 May to 27 June following, employed in a tender against the enemy in the Faro of Messina and on the coast of Calabria – contributed, on 8 Sept. in the same year, to the reduction of the town of Diamante, and seizure of a flotilla of vessels anchored under its protection – and was farther present at the ensuing defence of the island of Capri. After acting for eleven months as Lieutenant of the Ocean 98, bearing the flag of Lord Collingwood, and of the Cambrian 40, Capt. Fras. Wm. Fane, he was at length confirmed to the latter ship, by commission dated 2 Jan. 1810. In the following September he co-operated in the reduction of a French battery at Bagur, on the coast of Catalonia; and he afterwards obtained the thanks of the patriot General O’Donnell for his conduct at the storming of a fort near Palamos, on which occasion the boat of which he had command was struck by a shot, and sank almost before the wounded and the powder could be removed. On 13 of the following December Mr. Baynton took charge of the Cambrian’s boats in an attack made, in conjunction with those of the Kent and Ajax 74’s, and Sparrowhawk and Minstrel sloops, on an enemy’s convoy in the mole of Palamos; and during the disastrous retreat of the British from that place – when the boat in which he was serving grounded under a murderous fire from the shore, sustained, without any means of resistance, a loss of 30 men killed and wounded, and was only eventually got under way by the three survivors swimming and towing her off – received a musket-ball in his thigh, which, we believe, has never been extracted. For his services on the coast of Catalonia, where he was further present at the defence of Tarrargona, Mr. Baynton again obtained the open thanks of General O’Donnell, also a gold medal, struck for the affairs at Bagur and Falamos, and a sword valued at 50l. Being next appointed, 23 Jan. 1812, to the North Star 20, Capt. Thos. Coe, he served in that vessel, on the Channel and West India stations, the last twelve months as Senior Lieutenant, until Nov. 1815; during the early part of which year he landed with a party of seamen and marines on the island of Cuba, in pursuit of the crew of an American letter-of-marque, three of whom were taken prisoners, and the vessel ultimately captured. He was afterwards employed, for two years and a half, part of the time as First Lieutenant, in the Shark, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John Erskine Douglas, Sabine and Tay, Capts. Alex. Campbell and Sam. Roberts, and Salisbury 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Douglas, all on the Jamaica station, where he commanded for some time the Speedwell tender. From 1 May, 1818, until 3 Dec. 1839, with the exception of an interval in 1827, when, as Agent for Transports afloat, he attended the expedition to Portugal, he appears to have been on half-pay. He then, until promoted to his present rank, 23 Nov. 1841, commanded the Semaphore station at Cobham, co. Surrey. He has since been unemployed.
Commander Baynton, in 1844, was admitted a student at the Royal Naval College. He married, 18 Jan. 1821, Miss Ann Ogilvie, of London, and by that lady has issue six children. Agent – J. Hinxman.