Payne, William (1760 – 1830) – Plymouth; ‘View near Mount Edgecombe’.

William Payne began working as a draughtsman for the Board of Ordnance at the Tower of London in 1778. In 1783 he was sent to Plymouth where, alongside making technical drawings of maritime defences, he began making topographical works. This shows Staddon Heights on the left, with the Mewstone and the Sound in the distance. Two of the figures are wearing the blue uniform of the Board of Ordnance. We are grateful to David Japes for his help cataloguing this drawing.