21st June 2021

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48th Regiment of Foot (Northamptonshire)

This is labelled as from 1855-81, but looks similar to that shown in Cossum on page 66.

The regiment sailed for New South Wales as convict escort from August 1817 and stationed in Sydney, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Van Diemen’s Land and Parramatta. They left in 1824 for India.

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW), 2nd August 1817 page 2.

In the 1930s the story was told of a scandal in Sydney; Captain Debussy (or Major O’Farrell) of the 48th regiment fought a duel with Mr Mountstuart (or Fitzurse), badly injuring him, then ran way into the bush. He was shot around 6 years later when troops went to investigate a ‘wild white man’ who had gone ‘native’ and was causing trouble both for the local tribe and for the Australian Agricultural Company. The trouble is, there was no mention of it at the time, so maybe it was a fabrication!

 

17th Regiment of Foot (Leicestershire)

This looks similar to that seen on page 65 of Cossum, but was not sourced in Australia. Backmark: Jennens & Co London, which dates pre 1860.

Deployments of this regiment arrived New South Wales as convict escorts from 1830 and were stationed in New South Wales,Tasmania and Queensland. They left in for India in 1837.

The 17th were involved in two documented massacres in 1831 and 1832. They also fought against resisting aboriginals in the Newcastle area in 1835.

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