40th Regt in Australia 1859 Options

[hebbo]

I have been researching a soldier slowly over a number of years, picking up little bits of information from various sources. This soldiers name is John Nelson, he enlisted into the 40th Regiment on 7/6/1859 with the regimental number 259 and purchased his own discharge in new Zealand on 12/6/1866 as a Colour Sergeant. I have what is available of his service records, but it has no indication of his place of birth, place of enlistment etc. He was 23 years old on enlistment.

He enlisted 7/6/1859 and appears on the battalions Quarterly pay list of 1st April to 30 June 1859 in Melbourne, Australia. Given that the average sea voyage from England to Australia in those days was 90 or more days, I am thinking that he may have been recruited locally.

Does anyone know if this practice occurred? And how could it be confirmed?

I have heard that the 40th Regt gold escorts recruited locally and the regiment was preparing to deploy to New Zealand, so perhaps they were supplementing their ranks in preparation?

I can’t find any records of him in Victoria, Tasmania or New South Wales.

Any thoughts?

Chris

[mummy retta]

I have been researching a soldier slowly over a number of years, picking up little bits of information from various sources. This soldiers name is John Nelson, he enlisted into the 40th Regiment on 7/6/1859 with the regimental number 259 and purchased his own discharge in new Zealand on 12/6/1866 as a Colour Sergeant. I have what is available of his service records, but it has no indication of his place of birth, place of enlistment etc. He was 23 years old on enlistment.

He enlisted 7/6/1859 and appears on the battalions Quarterly pay list of 1st April to 30 June 1859 in Melbourne, Australia. Given that the average sea voyage from England to Australia in those days was 90 or more days, I am thinking that he may have been recruited locally.

Does anyone know if this practice occurred? And how could it be confirmed?

I have heard that the 40th Regt gold escorts recruited locally and the regiment was preparing to deploy to New Zealand, so perhaps they were supplementing their ranks in preparation?

I can’t find any records of him in Victoria, Tasmania or New South Wales.

Any thoughts?

Chris

Have you tried looking at the National Archives of Australia, they have an online database that you can search. Good Luck