Does anyone know where abouts these 2 regiments were raised from? Did they recruit from a specific area? (I know that the 40th was previously referred to as the Somerset Regiment and the 48th the Northamptonshire Regiment - does this mean they originated from this area?)

I am curious as I have an ancestor, Private Charles Quinn who served in the 39th Regiment in NSW, Australia - he died on April 9, 1832 while in the service. I have spent a fruitless day today searching the Mitchell Library (Sydney) copies of PRO muster and pay rolls for the 39th only to find that (perhaps?) he actually transferred in from another regiment. (The first mention of him in the 39th is December 1827 where he is listed under "supernumerary").

I have proof that he and his wife Esther Coogan were in Tasmania (Hobart) in 1825 where their son Henry was born. I believe that both the 40th and the 48th were stationed in Tasmania around that time and the Chapman website dealing with British regiments that served in Australia says that there was a Charles Quinn in both of these regiments. Family lore says that he was Irish, and with names like Quinn and Coogan one would think so; however I am thinking that perhaps the regiment(s) were raised in Ireland but may have served in England before they came to Australia.

Can anyone help? Perhaps resident genius Jeff H? Or am I doomed to spend my days trawling through microfilm records? Is anyone else researching these regiments?

Any help gratefully accepted!