Richard Paynter

Role: First husband of Jean Telfer
Born: ~1838 — Cornwall, England
Died: 7 February 1869 (aged 30) — St. Kitts Creek, pleurisy
Buried: Kapunda area

Richard Paynter was born in Cornwall, England, the son of Richard Paynter of Calstock. He emigrated to South Australia where he worked as a labourer at Chain of Ponds.

He married Jean Telfer on 12 September 1859 at the Chain of Ponds Parsonage, solemnised by John Kither and witnessed by her father Francis Telfer and Henry Whiting. Jean was several months pregnant at the time.

After their first child Thomas was born, the family moved to Koppio near Port Lincoln where Richard worked as a shepherd for Jean's cousin James Telfer. They later returned to the Chain of Ponds area and then to St. Kitts between Kapunda and Truro, where Richard became the local school teacher — a change brought on by his failing health.

Richard died of pleurisy at the age of 30, leaving a widow and five children unprovided for.

Source: From the Borders to the Bush — Chapter on Jean/Jane Telfer

Family Stories

Richard Paynter was born in Calstock, Cornwall, the son of Richard Paynter, who died in January 1856 aged 39 after "a protracted affliction." Richard the younger emigrated to South Australia and worked as a labourer at Chain of Ponds. On 12 September 1859, at just 19 years old, Jean Telfer married 21-year-old Richard Paynter at the Chain of Ponds Parsonage — a different setting from her sisters, who were married in their father Francis's home. Jean was several months pregnant at the time. After their first son Thomas was born, the family moved to Koppio near Port Lincoln, where Richard worked as a shepherd for Jean's cousin James Telfer. They later returned to the Chain of Ponds area and eventually settled at St. Kitts, between Kapunda and Truro. There, as Richard's health began to fail, he made an unusual career change — from shepherd to school teacher. The book records that he died of pleurisy on 7 February 1869 at St. Kitts Creek, aged just 30, leaving his widow and five children unprovided for. An in memoriam notice was placed in a local newspaper. His first child Dinah was born at Finniss Point five months after his death.

(From the Borders to the Bush, p.16)