Thank you all for responding.
I was aware of the book, and I keep an eye on the on line book shops in the hope I will find a copy in Melbourne somewhere (to pick up, trying to save on postage). I did think of having a look at it in a library, but as this man is a direct ancestor, I would rather like a copy to shuffle over to the family when I shuffle off.
km1971 asked for date of sailing - this is what I have 'deduced'. The Matilda sailed on 28th March 1817 from the Cove of Cork, landed in Port Jackson 3rd August, 1817. (John was in Fermoy in Dec 1816 and in NSW in 1817). If anyone can say the ship is wrong, please let me know. I have never found his name on a shipping list, and he did end up with Major Gilbert Cimitiere who sailed on the Dick. Does any one know if a ship's log exists for any of the ships?
majm - I will follow those links, thank you. I had eyeballed the parish register of St Phillips, but I had NOT realised that was 'centralised records management' at work. I had assumed that there was no parson in George Town, and they were chr when they got to Sydney. Now I realise that they may never have been there at all. I know some of the story of the northern settlements in Tasmania, and I am surprised they had their wives with them. Especially the privates. I also had found the mention in the Hobart Town Gazette of the missing Bill. In fact this was my first real hint of John in Australia. I confirmed from his army papers and the payroll records later.
I believe that John may have sailed to India - The following Persons leaving the Colony in the Brig Wellington, requests Claims to be presented :- John Conner, Robeit Smith, William Savory, John Purcell, Thomas Dnrkin, Isaac Clevell, James Goulding, John Oliphant, Richard Sisemore, Thomas Ralph, Charles Renfells, John Thompson, William Jones, Joseph De Silva, and Abraham De Silva. This is from the Sydney Gazette 2nd October, 1823. HOWEVER - there were other men named John PURCELL in the colony at the time. If all the other men were from the 48th, then I could be more certain.
I believe that John was buried in Great Yarmouth 19th Dec 1833. He was 50 and this fits his correct DOB, but there is nothing else in the Parish Rgeister that links him to other members of the family. Later members of the family are also buried in Great Yarmouth.
His son William POSTLE was in prison for debt (which makes a headstone less likely, methinks) in 1841, and died in Yarmouth in 1854. His death was witnessed by a George POSTLE, and he had a 7 year old son named George at the time. I doubt a seven year old would be listed as a witness to a death!, so I am seeking a relative with this name in Yarmouth. Not found as yet.
I am inclined to think that John's wife, Ann, is from Yarmouth, as this is where the family ended up after John's demob, and William (the boy born in Tasmania) was a fish dealer there before he died. As I have yet to find a marriage, I do not know her family name. John was 31 when he enlisted and he was living in Yarmouth at the time, according to his discharge papers. Does anyone know if enlistment papers were kept for these soldiers?
John has taken up a fair amount of research effort, as the family after him were knows as POSTLE. Once instance a certificate was in the name of PARCEL, but as I come from Yarmouth myself I know how we drawl out PURCEL, POSTLE and PARCEL. All would sound like parrcll. To give you an idea the town of Happisburg is pronounced haysbru. NO hard consonants ever get 'said'. Butter is, and always will be, bu-er. No wonder some of the parish clerks got it wrong.
It is funny how things turn out. When I married in 1968, my husband was from Tasmania, very Australian, and I had been in Australia some 11 years, a Pommie immigrant.
Now it turns out my ancestors were involved in settling Tasmania some years before his even arrived!!
Thanks for all the help - SHIRLEY