1798 Posse Comitatus

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Background

The Posse Comitatus, or civil power, was a survey of all men capable of acting in a military capacity who were not either Quakers, clergymen or already serving in a military unit.  Men between the ages of 15 and 60 were included.  In addition, the number of horses, wagons and carts available were surveyed.

The first such survey appears to have been conducted by Dorset in 1797.  The publicity that followed caused several other counties to conduct similar surveys.  It was at the initiative of the lord lieutenant, the Marquess of Buckingham, that the Buckinghamshire survey was conducted.  The work was directed by John Penn, High Sheriff.  He issued instructions on 16 February 1798.  Returns were due by 5 March.

The survey was conducted against the background of war with revolutionary France, and the risk of invasion by French forces.  By February 1798, Britain had been at war with France for five years.

Buckinghamshire is the only county for which a complete copy of the Posse Comitatus exists. In fact there are two surviving copies.  One is in the British Library and the other in the Buckinghamshire Record Office.  It seems likely that the Buckinghamshire record office copy was a working compilation from parish returns, and the British Library copy a presentation version.

The following is a complete list of the 265 Hanslope men in the Posse Comitatus.

Person Occupation and Comments
John Goodman Baker
Charles Bishop Butcher
Richard Whitbread Taylor
William Gregory Taylor
Reuben Gregory Taylor
John Gregory Taylor
George Gregory Taylor
Freeman Gregory Taylor
Harry West Baker
William Branson William Branson Jnr; Mason
William Goodman Baker
Thomas Smith Mason
John Crick Baker
Chales Charles Baker
John Busbey Baker
John Warwick Butcher
John Manning Butcher
James Manning Butcher
Jethro Inwood Butcher
John Gray Butcher
Francis Calcutt Staymaker
James Manning Baker
Thomas Garratt Blacksmith
Richard Chambers Labourer
Henry Willaby Turner
William Grace Turner
Thomas Billing Turner
George Frost Glover
John Frost Carpenter
George Cox Carpenter
Thomas Billing Carpenter; Constable
William Branson Mason
William Garratt Blacksmith
William Allen Butcher
John Garratt Blacksmith
Edward Elliott Blacksmith
William Tompkins Victualler
John Hutchings Victualler
John Holloway Victualler
Thomas Barratt Victualler
Thomas Allibone Victualler
Benjamin Inwood Gardener
John Alsop Gardener
Goerge Higgins Blacksmith
Thomas Hindes Lace Dealer
William Caves Butcher
John Caplon Farmer
John Barratt Farmer
Joseph Atterbury Farmer
Thomas Adams Farmer
Matthew Adams Farmer
John Adams Farmer
Richard Simons Lace Dealer
Thomas Crick Thomas Crick Jnr; Deformed; Farmer
Charles Leaver Lace Dealer
George Gaudern Farmer
Joseph Hindes Joseph Hindes Jnr, Lace Dealer
Joseph Hindes Lace Dealer
Henry Dawson Apothecary
William Singleton Revd; Minister
Joseph Leaver Lace Dealer
James Neal Farmer
William Allen Butcher
John Aldridge Butcher
James Fretter Dealer
James Bishop Maltster
James Whitbread Farmer
John Webb Farmer
Samuel Tarry Farmer
John Stimson Farmer
James Crick Farmer
Thomas Stanton Farmer
Thomas Calcutt Staymaker
William Kitelee Farmer
John Kitelee Farmer
Daniel Kitelee Farmer
John Kilpin Farmer
William Hillyer Farmer
Esmy Edward Hall Farmer
Thomas Gaudern Farmer
Thomas Gaudern Farmer
Richard Gaudern Farmer
Thomas Stanton Thomas Stanton Jnr; Farmer
Joseph Sparkes Servant
William Linham Servant
Richard Servant to Mr Hall
John Servant To Thomas Adams
William York Servant
Joseph York Servant
John Wilson Servant
George Webb Servant
George Walinger Servant
John Abbey Labourer
John Tarry Servant
Matthew Adams Labourer
Stephen Slimson Servant
Henry Ratnett Servant
William Rainbow Servant
Daniel Rainbow Servant
James Nichols Servant
William Newberry Servant
William Neal Servant
Richard Munday Servant
Richard Willaby Turner
Benjamin Tomson Servant
John Brice Labourer
Thomas Caves Labourer
James Carter Labourer
James Carter Labourer
Thomas Cadmuns Labourer
John Burbidge Labourer
John Buckmaster Labourer
William Servant to Mr Lever
William Brooks Labourer
John Linham Servant
Matthew Birt Labourer
Thomas Benson Labourer
Christopher Banks Labourer
William Attwood Labourer
Benjamin Atterbury Labourer
John Amos Labourer
Thomas Aldridge Labourer
George Aldridge Labourer
Thomas Adkins Labourer
William Brooks William Brooks Jnr; Labourer
John Mills Cordwainer
Thomas Mills Servant
Thomas Whitebread Cordwainer
Daniel Whitebread Cordwainer
William Sterman Cordwainer
William Richards Cordwainer
George Richards Cordwainer
John Peach Cordwainer
George Peach Cordwainer
John Stones Lacemaker
Thomas Paine Cordwainer
Samuel Stones Lacemaker
Richard Latemore Cordwainer
William Key Cordwainer
Samuel Garratt Cordwainer
Thomas French Cordwainer
John Elliott Cordwainer
John Mills Pillar maker
James Folkes Plumber
Joseph Allen Plumber
William Calcutt Staymaker
William Parker Cordwainer
William Clark William Clark Jnr; Wheelwright
William Kingston Servant
William Judge Servant
Thomas Horn Servant
William Frost Servant
William Ditum Servant
Henry Cook Servant
Samuel Clifton Servant
Thomas Clark Servant
John Panter Lacemaker
Robert Meakin Ragman; Cripple
William Clark Wheelwright
Joseph Clark Wheelwright
James Herbert Higler
Joseph Gregory Grocer
John France Grocer
Amos Chinner Amos Chinner Jnr; Grocer
Amos Chinner Grocer
Robert Butlin Grocer
John Woodland Lacemaker
William Burditt Servant
Elisha Bull Labourer
Christopher Clark Labourer
William Brown Labourer
Richard Herbert Labourer
John Keen Labourer
James Haines Labourer
Thomas Hakes Labourer
Daniel Sturges Labourer
William Stanton Labourer
Thomas Stanton Labourer
Jacob Herbert Labourer
William Geary Labourer
John Herbert Labourer
Daniel Gaybel Labourer
Thomas Herbert Labourer
John Hickerson Labourer
William Hickerson Labourer
William Hicks Labourer
William Hindes Labourer
Jethro Inwood Labourer
Thomas Frost Labourer
William Wallinger Labourer
Joseph Woodland Labourer
Joseph Woodland Labourer
John Woodland Labourer
Thomas Tebbett Labourer
Benjamin Wood Labourer
William Kingstone Labourer
William Whitehead Labourer
William Goade Labourer
John Webb Labourer
William Smith Labourer
Shadrack Travil Labourer
James Travel Labourer
Benjamin Thompson Labourer
William Tebby Labourer
Thomas Tebbit Labourer
William Garlick Labourer
John Garratt Labourer
Thomas Webb Labourer
Richard Morris Labourer
Benjamin Stanton Labourer
Joseph Nichols Labourer
James Nichols Labourer
William Neal Labourer
Samuel Neal Labourer
Samuel Neal Labourer
Nathaniel Neal Labourer
William Nichols Labourer
John Munday Labourer
Thomas Osborn Labourer
William Mills Labourer
William Mills Labourer
William Marriott Labourer
Thomas Marriott Labourer
Bejamin Marriott Labourer
William Linchum Labourer
Matthew Lane Labourer; One Eye
Nathaniel Neal Labourer
William Salisbury Labourer
Thomas Smith Labourer
Joseph Key Labourer
Thomas Key Labourer
John Kingstone Labourer
Benjamin Smith Labourer
William Simons Labourer; One Eye
James Simons Labourer
Thomas Nichols Labourer
John Scott Labourer
Abraham Woodland Labourer
John Roddis Labourer
John Rainbow Labourer
John Paxton Labourer
Joseph Panter Labourer
John Panter Labourer
Charles Panter Labourer
Thomas Paine Labourer
Edward Seal Labourer
Charles Frost Labourer; Lame
John Elliott Labourer
Thomas Clifton Labourer
Thomas Clark Labourer
William Clark Labourer
Benjamin Wills Labourer
John Downing Labourer
Benjamin Downing Labourer
Edward Ditum Labourer
John Frost Labourer
Thomas Denton Labourer
John Denton Labourer
Samuel Crick Labourer
George Crick Labourer
James Cook Labourer
Thomas Clifton Labourer
Samuel Woodland Labourer
Thomas Woodland Labourer
Joseph Frost Labourer

The following is a list of persons keeping horses in Hanslope from the Posse Comitatus.

Persons Horses Waggons Carts
John Adams 5 1 2
Matthew Adams 5 1 3
Thomas Adams 5 1 2
John Barratt 5 2 3
John Caplon 5 1 2
Thomas Gaudern 4 1 2
John Goodman 1 - 1
Esmy Edward Hamm 6 1 3
John Kilpin 4 1 2
Daniel Kitelee 4 1 2
John Kitelee 6 2 3
William Kitelee 5 2 3
John Manning 2 - 1
James Neal 4 1 2
Thomas Stanton 3 1 2
John Stimpson 3 - 1
Samuel Tarry 5 1 2
Benjamin Thompson 1 - 1
William Tompkins 1 - 1
John Webb 4 1 1
James Whitbread 4 1 2
Pease Willobe 1 - 1
  83 19 42

The following summarises the return for the whole county.

Hundred/Borough  Parishes Men Horses Waggons Carts Windmills Watermills
Three Hundreds of Aylesbury 38 3,762 2,251 481 935 8 22
Three Hundreds of Ashendon 36 2,180 1,545 423 659 7 2
Buckingham Borough 6 484 152 45 84 - 2
Three Hundreds of Buckingham 29 1,808 1,333 386 561 2 11
Hundred of Burnham 28 3,053 1,720 294 714 1 14
Three Hundreds of Cottesloe 43 3,133 2,078 339 1073 5 10
Hundred of Desborough 14 1,883 1,118 326 458 - 8
Chepping Wycombe Borough 3 970 389 103 123 - 9
The Three Hundreds of Newport 53 4,224 2,261 479 1,099 2 12
Hundred of Stoke 13 2,050 1,007 180 419 - 7
T O T A L S 263 23,547 13,854 3,056 6,125 25 97
Source for the above information: Publication No.22 of the Buckinghamshire Record Society entitled "The Buckinghamshire Posse Comitatus 1798", published in 1985 (ISBN 0 901198 18 8).

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