In 1819, the nineteenth regiment was ordered home from Ceylon, when one hundred and seventy-two men volunteered to the SEVENTY-THIRD regiment.
1821
Upon the SEVENTY-THIRD being directed to proceed to England in 1821, all the men fit for service in a tropical climate were permitted to volunteer, in the first instance, to regiments in Ceylon, and ultimately to His Majesty’s regiments stationed in the territories of the East India Company.
A detachment of one subaltern, three serjeants, one drummer, and forty-six rank and file, embarked as Marines on board of His Majesty’s ship “Alligator,” on the 22nd of May, 1821; the remainder of the regiment embarked at Trincomalee on the 25th of June following, and landed at Gravesend on the 10th of November. It was then ordered to proceed to the barracks at Weedon, to which place the depôt of the regiment had been a short time before removed from Chichester, and where most of the men brought home were soon afterwards invalided.
The establishment of the regiment was, on its arrival, reduced to eight companies, forming a total of four field officers, eight captains, sixteen subalterns, five staff, twenty-nine serjeants, twelve drummers, twenty-four corporals, and five hundred and fifty-two privates.
1823
In March, 1823, the regiment was ordered to proceed to Hull, and to furnish detachments at Chester, Carlisle, and Tynemouth: in May it marched to Edinburgh Castle, furnishing detachments at Glasgow, Stirling and Dumbarton Castles, and at Fort William.
In December, 1823, the regiment embarked at Port Patrick for Ireland, and was stationed at Castlebar, furnishing twelve small detachments within the limits of the counties of Mayo and Galway.
1824
1825
The regiment was assembled at Athlone in June, 1824, where it was quartered until July, 1825, when the head-quarters were removed to Naas, and detachments were furnished to Drogheda, Wicklow, Trim, and some villages in the counties of Kildare and Wicklow.