Obscure, Eccentric and Missing Lists from the Colony of New South Wales 1783~1823

List of Marine Officers, Non Commisioned officers and Privates desiring to remain in the Colony after the expiration of their service – 1 Mar 1790

Return of Marines employed in cultivation at Charlotte’s Field, Queensborough on Norfolk Island Jun-Jul 1790

Transfers from other Regiments to The NSW Corps or previous military service in England after departure of The Second Fleet – 1790

Deaths, Discharges and Desertions in the NSW Corps 1st – 20th January 1790 (prior to emb HMS Gorgon)

The full compliment of NSW Corps were instructed by the War Office to board HMS Gorgon at Portsmouth in late January 1790 with the intent of embarking for NSW in the coming weeks. This embarkation never occured for a number of reasons, beginning with a contagion amongst some of the men that had originated from two soldiers who had been brought from the Savoy prison, followed by a stream of desertions as bemoaned by Francis Grose in the following letter of 10 Jan 1791 “…I think it proper to communicate to you that the very great desertion which has lately taken place in the N. S. Wales Corps has so considerably reduced their numbers that there are not at this Time sufficient by twenty eight to furnish the Guards for the different Transports. The party disembarked from the Gorgon which was chiefly composed of deserters from the Savoy have almost all of them run away – in several instances they have taken with them some of the best men in the Corps.” The Corps remained aboard ship at Portsmouth until March 1791

Following is a list of NSW Corps, Wives & older children subsisted aboard HMS Gorgon at Portsmouth Aug 1790 – Mar 1791. There are various forename errors and poor renderings of surnames in the list. Included amongst the list are at least eight children recorded as Pte’s & women. Children under victualling age were present but not recorded. There were numerous desertions and many who never came to NSW

NSW Corps detachment released from Gorgon for duty at Portsmouth 19 Jun 1790, marked ‘on duty’ in the Dec 1789 – Sep 1790 Paylists

List of NSW Corps who died, were discharged, transferred to the 29th Reg’t or deserted from HMS Gorgon at Portsmouth 20 Jan – 31 Jul 1790 (Some of whom were later regained and embarked to NSW)

List of NSW Corps who died, were discharged or deserted from HMS Gorgon at Portsmouth Aug 1790 – Mar 1791 (Some of whom were later regained and embarked to NSW)

NSW Corps who were regained from desertion and embarked HMS Gorgon at Portsmouth in 1790

List of Useful & Well behaved convicts (with trial details) employed at improving defence lines at Gosport Weevil & Priddy Hard – 25 Nov 1790

When the NSW Corps paylists were transferred to the colony they were seemingly incomplete and in some disarray, resulting in the lists from 25 Dec 1790 to 25 Dec 1791 being redrawn in NSW. These redrawn lists integrated some soldier reductions that had ocurred locally prior to the arrival of Grose with the lists aboard Pitt. However, in this redrawing a gap was left in the last quarter of 1790. This has resulted in numerous errors in other publications in relation to origins and first appearance of a number of NSW Corps who served in NSW. Following is a re-creation of the missing section of paylist from 1790.

A list of alterations to men of the New South Wales Corps in the records Gap period 1 Oct – 24 Dec 1790

Enlistments/Transfers from other Regiments

Promotions

Demotions

Discharges and Transfers

Desertions

Unknown Reduction (death, desertion or discharge)

Regained from Desertion

• William Webster I, Corp to Pte

Final deaths and discharges from the NSW Corps in England prior to departure of Third Fleet

Return to 1789

Onward to 1791

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