Context :

Aims : To investigate candidates for Be/X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud ( SMC ) , we observed a region around the emission nebula N19 with XMM-Newton in October 2006 .

Methods : We analysed the EPIC data of the detected point sources to derive their spectral and temporal characteristics .

Results : We detected X-ray pulsations with a period of 25.550 ( 2 ) s from the second-brightest source in the field , which we designate XMMU J004814.1-731003 .
The X-ray spectrum is well modelled by a highly absorbed ( N _ { H } = 5 \times 10 ^ { 22 } cm ^ { -2 } ) powerlaw with photon index 1.33 \pm 0.27 .
The precise X-ray position allows us to identify a Be star as the optical counterpart .
XMMU J004814.1-731003 is located within the error circle of the transient ASCA source AX J0048.2-7309 , but its position is inconsistent with that of the proposed optical counterpart of AX J0048.2-7309 ( the emission line star [ MA93 ] 215 ) .
It remains unclear if XMMU J004814.1-731003 is associated with AX J0048.2-7309 .
XMMU J004814.1-731003 might be identical to an RXTE pulsar that was discovered with a period of 25.5 s , but which is listed as 51 s pulsar in the recent literature .

Conclusions :