73 Regiment of Foot 1st Batallion

[Karenannie]

I possibly have an ancestral link to the 73rd Regiment..
Francis STEWART, a Private of the 73rd regiment of foot 1st Batallion was in NSW Australia and had been commanded to Hobart in 1812
 ( Pay List/Muster Roll: 1812  - Pay List PRO Reel/Source: 3869 )

I'd like to learn - any information at all about the above named private..

I guess he joined around 1809  ( but I could be wrong!)( It was at this time when the regiment was commanded to NSW)
Would he have been allowed to take his wife?
Are there any Soldier lists for theships Hindustan and Dromedary 1809 to Sydney.

In 1814 the regiment were commanded to Ceylon, was Francis among them? I have nothing to suggest he stayed on in Hobart..


 I've read a few websites about the regiment, contacted a few places in regards to the regiment but so far no luck..

Hopefully someone can help with the above or advise me where to go from here..

Regards
Karen

[liverpool annie]

Hi Karen!

You might want to look over this site! there are some Stewart's but I'm afraid I can't find Francis ! 

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~garter1/73rd.htm

I take it this is who you thought was your relative ?!!

Last name:   STEWART
First name:   Francis
Rank:   Private
Regiment:   73rd Regiment of Foot, 1st Battalion
Pay List/Muster Roll:   1812 Pay List
PRO Reel/Source:   3869
Notes:   Commanded to Hobart Town

Annie 

[liverpool annie]

Unfortunately only officers were named - it's possible your Francis was included with the men who left for Ceylon !

1st Battalion - 73rd Regiment of Foot
1809-1815

In 1809, the 73rd was ordered to accompany its Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Lachlan Macquarie to the colony of New South Wales, to relieve the
NSW Corps. The Battalion embarked on the 8th May 1809, at Yarmouth, in
the Isle of Wight, on board HM ships "Hindustan" and "Dromedary" and sailed
 from St Helens on the 25th of that month. The fleet touched at Madeira, Port Praya,  Rio Janeiro and at the Cape of Good Hope and anchored at Port Jackson, New  South Wales on 28th December 1809. Due to unfavourable winds the "Hindustan" and "Dromedary" were forced to wait until proceeding up the harbour to Sydney Cove.

The 73rd landed at Sydney on the 1st January 1810, and detachments were sent out in the course of the following two months to Newcastle, Parramatta, Derwent
(Hobart Town), Norfolk Island and Port Dalrymple.

There were a number of men from the 102nd Regt who volunteered to join the 73rd so they could stay in the Colony. With these volunteers the 73rd was brought up to  1000 rank and file. On the 25th March 1810 a Veteran Company was attached to  the 73rd, made up of volunteers from the New South Wales Corps (102nd Regt)  who were over 35 years old and/or had 20 years or more military service.

The Veteran Company consisted of 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 1 Ensign, 5 Sergeants,  2 Drummers, 5 Corporals, 95 Privates. Their uniform was identical to the 73rd except for blue facings.

While the Regiment was stationed in Australia it assisted Governor Macquarie in
cleaning up the corruption left after the Rum Rebellion, participating in many civil
engineering projects including building many roads in and around Sydney and the
other settlements. Other duties performed by the 73rd were:- supervising convict work parties, policing duties, hunting down bushrangers and providing for the colony's defence. They also formed the nucleus of the first mounted police force. This force  consisted of  1 Sergeant,  1  Corporal and 6 Privates. Officers of the 73rd also organized the first Horse races in  Australia

After 4 years of garrison life with no real chances for military glory, unfortunately
boredom and isolation caused a number of incidents that soured the relationship
between the 73rd and Governor Macquarie. The Officers of the 73rd refused to
associate with former convicts although they were no angels themselves. Macquarie  was forced to remove Lieutenant  Murray from his position as Commandant of  Hobart Town when it was discovered that Murray had  been using labour gangs  to build his mansion instead of road building. Major Gordon  suffered a similar but more humiliating fate. An Irish Pirate arrived and promptly accused Gordon  of crimes against the government. Astonished at being found out Gordon allowed himself to be arrested, tried and sentenced to be shot by the pirate. In the nick  of time a young Subaltern threw the Irish pirate out threatening to blow his ship  out of the water if he ever returned. Gordon was released by this junior officer  then Court Marshalled for pusillanimity. The final straw came for Macquarie
when 2 lieutenants,  A MacNaughton and P Connor  were given extremely
light sentences for the murder of a settler by a blatantly unsound Courts Martial.

 Macquarie requested that the 73rd be replaced by another line regiment, but
before the request could be sent an order arrived from England to embark the
73rd for the island of Ceylon. This took place in 1814 on HM ships "Earl Spencer",
"General Hewitt" and "Windham".

[liverpool annie]

continued .......

Prior to the embarkation of the 73rd from New South Wales, Governor Macquarie
stated in General Orders. that:-

"On the occasion of parting with the first battalion of the Seventy Third
Regiment His Excellency Major-General Macquarie, the Governor and
Commander of the Forces in this territory, cannot fail to express the warm
 feelings of interest he takes in the corps, which he has commanded for six
years; and to assure them, that no additional prosperity or honour, to which
 they may be entitled, in the part of the world where they are now destined
to serve, and where they have already obtained so large a portion of well
earned fame, can exceed his sanguine wishes and expectations.
This station has not afforded the usual field for military glory; but in as far
as the industrious exertions of those non-commissioned officers and privates,
who could be spared from military duty, have been exerted, this colony is
much indebted for many useful improvements, which but for the soldiers of
the Seventy Third Regiment, must have remained only in contemplation of
those anxious for its civilization for a length of time, and the Major-General
cannot doubt but that the comforts enjoyed by the colonists, in consequence
of the zealous and laborious exertions of the soldiers of the Seventy Third
Regiment, will be long remembered with grateful recollections..................."

HMS Earl Spencer
departed Sydney Cove 14th January 1814 with the following on board:-

Major G A Gordon
Captain Haddon Smith
Captain John Pike
Lieutenant A McNaughton
Lieutenant M Murphy
Lieutenant T Atkins
Lieutenant P Connor
Lieutenant D Wentworth
Ensign G A Pook
Assistant Surgeon George Martin
15 Sergeants
5 Drummers
15 Corporals
311 Privates
49 Women
77 Children

HMS General Hewitt
departed Sydney Cove 29th March 1814 with the following on board:-

Lieutenant Colonel M C O'Connell
Major H J Cameron
Captain A Coane
Lieutenant W Raymond
Lieutenant A Greenshields
Lieutenant H Holmes
Lieutenant G Dawson
Paymaster I Birch
Adjutant F Edgar
Surgeon J Carter
23 Sergeants
10 Drummers
20 Corporals
309 Privates
96 Women
163 Children

HMS Windham

departed Sydney Cove 4th April 1814 with the following on board:-

Lieutenant Colonel A Geils
Captain W Kenny
Assistant Surgeon J M Dermott
4 Sergeants
1 Drummer
6 Corporals
94 Privates
28 Women
61 Children
© 2003, 73rd Regiment of Foot Inc - New South Wales, Australia

Annie  

[Karenannie]

Thanks Annie,
                        yes that is the Francis that is possibly me ancestor..
                        That is one of the web sites that I have checked out.
                        Thank you kindly just the same.

__________
Thank you again for your 2nd reply. I have been reading quite a bit from web sites I've come across and they have been very helpful.

Apparently not much documentation exists from the 73rd regiment

I'm hoping to find a shipping list/s with soldiers named, or enrolment into the regiment that might give me some details on Francis, e.g. age, birthplace, married/single etc, as I have no idea as to how old Private Francis Stewart was.. I have a few possible connections to him.

I know Francis was in NSW bef 1812, he was commanded to Hobart in 1812, he was possibly commanded to Ceylon in 1814 ( haven't come across anything to verify he did go to Ceylon)

I have a few reasons to believe there might be a connection to Francis of the regiment:
1) a male child, named Francis Stewart ( b abt 1810 in the colony of NSW) was admitted to the male orphan schoolin Parramatta nsw 1819 , mother's name only listed ( I have a copy of his admittance record - mother Rose, a Nurse) ( no birth found in NSW)
2) Francis stayed in the school until 1823 when he was apprenticed out to Rev Reddall.
3) in 1822 a Francis Stewart - formerly of Hobart - arrived in Nsw and went to work for Rev. Reddall.
4) I have a Francis Stewart born abt 1800-1810 married in 1831 in Hobart Tasmania..( this Francis was free at time of marriage)  his 1st 2 daughters were named Rose ( 1st one deceased) also 1st son named Francis) ( and that I feel is my connection - I believe this Francis is the Francis from the orphanage school ( - son of Francis of the regiment )

Sorry if I've prattled, but I was trying to explain the situation.

I'm trying to find some information to put the puzzle together..



Regards
Karen

[liverpool annie]

This may give you some ideas of how to look for service records at Kew !

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=26

Annie 

[Karenannie]

Thank you Annie,
                              I thought Kew might be my next step. Just thought I'd give this a go first..
                              Thank you very much for your time.

Regards
Karen