Civilian occupations linked with military in the 19th century

[Nick93]

Hi there, everyone. I have an ancestor who had a baby out of wedlock with a soldier in the 1850s. We believe she worked in some capacity for the barracks nearby to where she was from (this was in Ireland), hence her coming into contact with said soldier. Part of the regiment he was with was stationed there in her town, but the baby wasn't born until a few years later, after the regiment had already moved a few places. The soldier in question later went to India the same year the baby was born, and seems to never had any contact with her again.

I was wondering if A. she was perhaps employed by someone in the regiment, hence her travelling long enough to fall pregnant by one of the men (and what possible occupations there were at this time, if camp followers were still a common profession by the mid 1800s), or B. were all the soldiers who belonged to the regiment always with the regiment? Or is it possible this fellow remained stationed in the same area for several years?

Thanks in advance.

[ShaunJ]

Can't help with A. As for B:

When and where was the child born?
What was the father's name?
What was his regiment?

[Nick93]

Hi, Shaun! Ah, it's alright thank you, we've found the boy's baptism and everything. But I would be curious, do you know if barracks kept records of who was stationed there/when? Or would that sort of info only been in censuses and such?

[ShaunJ]

I doubt there would be any barracks records but the regimental muster books and paylists at the UK National Archives might shed some light on his location.

Have you checked contemporary newspapers for mentions of the regiment? British newspapers will tell you where regiments and their depot companies were located each month ("Stations of the British Army"). The Irish newspapers are quite useful for mentions of which detachments were in town and/or where they were moving to. 

[Nick93]

Ah, no! I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Maiden Stone]

we've found the boy's baptism and everything.

Where & when was the baptism? Name of child and parents? Which regiment? Where was the soldier from?
The more we know, the more likely it is we may be able to help.
A high proportion of the British Army were Irishmen. If a soldier had formed a relationship with a young woman, he may have gone to visit her on leave. She may have had a relative in the same regiment as him.
There's a website called Irish Garrison Towns about British Army barracks in Ireland.
Soldiers may have attended local churches, social events, dances, fairs, attracting interest of local damsels. One of my Irish ancestors married a soldier.