Hi whiteout7,
Thanks for taking the time to reply, and the information you've given me - it is much appreciated. I thought it most likely that the D tattoo most likely signified that he was a deserter but had not heard anything about such tattooing of prisoners before. I haven't looked for any records relating to his conviction as I had no idea if such records existed, or where to look for them.
By way of background, his name was Owen Brennan, born c.1803 at Enniskillen, Fermanagh. For reasons unknown he used the alias John McCaffrey when he enlisted. He enlisted in the 6th Enniskillen Dragoons in 1823 and later joined the 47th Regiment. On 14 February 1833 he was convicted at the Dublin Court Martial held at the Royal Barracks in Dublin, of desertion and sentenced to 7 years transportation. After spending 8 months on the hulk Essex in Kingstown harbour, Dublin, John was transferred, as a military convict, to the convict ship Royal Sovereign, which sailed from Dublin on 6 September 1833 and arrived in Sydney, NSW on 19 January 1834.
I live in Australia - would you happen to know if there is a website I can access court martial documents from here?
Once again, thanks for your reply and help.
Regards
Sharon