The present group of watercolours by William Payne (1760-1830) have remained loose in a folio since they were executed and consequently their colours have survived with remarkable freshness. The bold palette of the drawings in this group are very different from the soft restricted palette and careful pen that we today regard as typical of Payne's work. His more characteristic technique was developed from his training as a draughtsman for the Board of Ordnance where he was encouraged to record landscape details accurately and rapidly in either careful pen or pencil and then gently worked up in soft washes of colour.
Born in London, Payne was posted by the Board to Plymouth in 1782, where he remained until 1790. He travelled throughout the region recording the landscapes and coastal scenes which inspired his work. Following his return to London in 1790, he returned frequently to the West Country and also undertook numerous sketching tours to South and North Wales, The Isle of Wight, The Lake District and Yorkshire. From some of the drawings in the present group, it appears that he also visited Northumberland, perhaps during his tour of 1810 or at some other time.
These drawings were probably inherited by Lady Emily Frances Percy, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Northumberland who in 1810 married James, 1st Lord Glenlyon, and was the mother of George, 6th Duke of Atholl. The estate of Werrington, near Launceston was acquired by the 1st Duke of Northumberland and this may explain the family’s patronage of the artist.