[2] The regiment was largely recruited from the Staffordshire Militia and comprised men living on the estates of Paget's father, The Earl of Uxbridge.

Arriving on the island in September 1795 in an already weakened state, the 80th Foot had lost half of its strength by the time it was forced to return to Britain in January 1796.

[1][3][4] Following the French conquest of the Netherlands the Batavian Republic had been established in 1795, taking over the various Dutch colonial possessions, and declaring war on Great Britain.

[1][4] In 1831–36 they were based in England or Ireland, at times giving aid to the civil authorities in a police or anti-riot role.

[1] In 1836 the regiment was given the duty of escorting convicts to Australia; small detachments of the 80th undertook the journey over several months.

[1][3][4] Major Thomas Bunbury of the 80th Foot was made the representative of the Governor of New Zealand to arrange the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi at various locations in the South Island during May and June 1840, establishing British sovereignty there.

Part of the regiment again suffered shipwreck when the sailing ship Briton ran aground on the Andaman Islands in November 1844.

[1][9] Stationed in Lahore from 1846 until 1852, in that year it fought in the Second Anglo-Burmese War which saw the East India company annex the province of Pegu.

Returning to India in 1853, the 80th sailed back to the United Kingdom in the following year, where they were brought up to full strength by recruiting parties.