The 1798 Posse Comitatus, a military census, resulted from concerns of a French invasion arising from the Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802) and the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). This census included able-bodied men between the ages of 15 and 60 who were not Quakers, clergymen or already serving in a military unit. In addition, the number of horses, wagons and carts were surveyed.
The first such survey appears to have been conducted in 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 the High Sheriff, John Penn. He issued instructions on 16 February 1798 and returns were due back by 5 March.
Buckinghamshire is the only county for which a complete copy of the Posse Comitatus exists. There are two surviving copies; one is in the British Library and the other is in the Buckinghamshire Record Office.
The first table records the names of Olney men in the Posse Comitatus. The names are listed under their occupations in four columns. The table provides a valuable insight into the various trades practised in Olney in the late eighteenth century.
The second table lists the availability in Olney of horses, wagons and carts, together with the names of the owners.
The data was kindly provided by Sue Blake.
VICAR | MASONS & BRICKLAYERS | BREWERS | LABOURERS | |||
Melvile Horn | James Butcher | George Robython | James Adams | |||
William Butcher | Samuel Wray | Henry Andrews | ||||
GENTLEMEN | Robert Collingridge | William Banister | ||||
Thomas Blunden | Thomas Creamer | BREECHES-MAKERS | William Barker | |||
Richard Gardner | Thomas Knight | Richard Bodily Subject to fits |
William Barnes – Broken body but able to serve | |||
WilliamWagstaff | John Mead – Lame | James Chrachow | John Birch | |||
Samuel Tompson | John Hardwick | William Brandon | ||||
SURGEONS | Thomas White | Thomas Maison | James Brittain | |||
Thomas Asprey | Ebenezer Nyers | John Brittain – Lame | ||||
Thomas Biggs | PARISH CLERK | Thomas Brittain | ||||
Thomas Raban | HEELMAKERS | William Burrill | ||||
TANNERS | William Clark | John Burt | ||||
Robert Morgan | SCHOOLMASTERS | John Tapp | William Byefield | |||
Thomas Stanley | Thomas Haddon | Stainer Church – Deaf | ||||
John Wagstaff | Edward Lambert | LACE PATTERN-MAKERS | Uriah Clayton | |||
Thomas Wagstaff | John Millard | Thomas Cook | ||||
TAYLORS | John Robinson | Ennis Cooper | ||||
FARMERS | Thomas Atkin | Samuel Dayton | ||||
John Day – Quaker | William Clifton | GLAZIERS | Samuel Dayton | |||
John James | Thomas Cooper | James Andrews | William Drage | |||
William James | Edward Ingram | Michael Hind | Thomas Duncan | |||
James Johnson | Thomas Jackson | William Hull | Thomas France | |||
Robert Johnson | James Johnson | John Garner | ||||
John Raban | Thomas Leighton | TOLLMAN | Samuel Garner | |||
Samuel Raban | Richard Line | John Bannister | Benjamin Green | |||
Timothy Sincham | Richard May | William Green | ||||
James Slatter | James Perkins | DRAPERS | John Griggs | |||
Thomas Whitmee | Thomas Taylor | William Andrews | John Griggs – Lame | |||
Robert York | Thomas Tims | James Clark | Henry Gutridge | |||
Thomas York | James Hare | |||||
William York | BUTCHERS | GARDENERS | John Harrald – Lame | |||
Thomas Burrill | Stephen Freeman | Thomas Harrisson | ||||
CUTLER | James Chater | William Kitchener | William Harrold | |||
Thomas Tompkins | George Griggs | Samuel Herbert | ||||
John Griggs | FELL-MONGERS | Edward Hinde Jnr | ||||
MILLERS | William Griggs | Thomas Forster – Lost the use of one arm | John Hinde | |||
Joseph Harrald – Lost the use of one side | George Knight | John Johnson | Thomas Hinde | |||
Moses Hicks | John Knight | John Johnson | William Hoddle – Subject to fits | |||
George Holmshead | Lawrence Spinave | William Scott | John Holloway | |||
John Home | William Turvil | William Hopper | ||||
Jonathan Wood | GROCERS | Joseph Horne – Lost one eye & two fingers | ||||
Henry Geary | HEMPDRESSERS | William Horne | ||||
DISSENTING PREACHERS | Thomas Green – Quaker | Thomas Aspray | John Ingram – Lost the use of one arm | |||
Thomas Corby | James Herbert | Edward Dexter | William Jackson | |||
John Sutcliffe | Jacob Hutchinson | Thomas Soul | Freeman Knight | |||
John Tompkins | Thomas Tompson | William Knight Jnr | ||||
WATCHMAKERS | John Wallis – Quaker | Thomas Tompson Jnr | Robert Laybot | |||
John Abram | Robert Wallis | William Let | ||||
Ebenezer Aspray | Daniel Warren | HAIR-DRESSERS | William Luitts | |||
John Durnvile | Thomas Blundel | John Marriott | ||||
William Grindon | MALTSTERS | Edward Harvey | John Marshall | |||
John Killingworth | Peter Freeman | William Wilson | Edward Moore | |||
Thomas Perkin | Thomas Gates | Richard Morgan | ||||
James Tompkins | William Sampel | SAWYERS | Thomas Old | |||
William Wilmor | William Smith | Charles Amos | William Pearson | |||
John Whitmee | John Wasker | Thomas Perkins | ||||
CARPENTERS | Christopher Woodwell | Joseph Platt | ||||
John Cobb Snr | BLACKSMITHS | William Putten | ||||
John Cobb Jnr | FISHMONGER | Robert Loo | William Rawlins – One eye | |||
Thomas Davin | Thomas Freeman | Robert Paybody | Samuel Rigrave | |||
Flatter Griggs | William Paybody | James Robinson | ||||
John Herbert | BAKERS | William Smith | Robert Scott | |||
William Rabans | Thomas Curtis | Thomas Whiting | William Sharp | |||
Stephen Stow | William Poole | Ebenezer Smith | ||||
Richard Rivice | BOOKBINDER | Ebenezer Smith | ||||
CORDWAINERS | John Rogers | Edward Killingworth | Edward Swannel | |||
John Abraham | Thomas Rogers | Thomas Swannel | ||||
William Abraham | John Soul | IRONMONGER | John Swift | |||
Bethlem Andrews | Joseph Todd | Thomas Humphrey | William Tame | |||
John Bannister | John Thomson | |||||
Joseph Brickwood | VICTUALLERS | STAYMAKERS | Thomas Watts | |||
Macer Brooks | John Andrews | William Allen | William Wells | |||
John Carter | Samuel Aspray | Edmund Tapp | James West | |||
William Cowley | Robert Botteril | John Wheeler | ||||
William Fisher | William Bowden | CURRIER | Robert White | |||
Joseph Gillman | Timothy Brice | William Hesket | Edward Wright | |||
Christopher Kitchener | William Fennell | Richard Wright | ||||
John Limbery | Richard Hill | BASKETMAKERS | William Wrighten | |||
Joseph Lord | John Lord – Lame | Thomas Collett | ||||
Joseph Mead | Thomas Tutt | Joseph Collyer | ||||
Thomas Robinthan | John Whitmee | Thomas Darling | ||||
Thomas Soul | Benjamin Holloway | |||||
John Stone | LACEDEALERS | |||||
James Waddup | Thomas Chater | MATMAKERS | ||||
Thomas Walkman | William Clark | Thomas Bavington | ||||
Austin Watson – Lost two fingers |
Robert Mason | John Osborn | ||||
William Wright | George Pitt | |||||
Joseph Soul | COSTERMONGER | |||||
LACEMAKERS | Thomas Talbott | Samuel Soul | ||||
Ebenezer Ashburner | William Tindon | |||||
Francis Bosswell | CHIMNEYSWEEPER | |||||
William Boswell | COLLAR-MAKERS & LACEPILLOW-MAKERS | Peter Timbrel | ||||
Robert Brittain | Thomas Harris Snr | |||||
James Bryan | Thomas Harris Jnr | APPRENTICES | ||||
E Chater | Thomas Litchfield | John Barnes | ||||
John Cleaver | Thomas Watts | John Bunker | ||||
William Coles | Joseph Butcher | |||||
James Dix | CLOCK LINEMAKER | William Chater | ||||
Peter Freeman | William Bristow | Richard Emberton | ||||
Richard Freeman | Archer Field | |||||
Thomas Freeman | LACE BOBBIN-MAKER | Benjamin France | ||||
Richard Green | William Johnson | William Griggs | ||||
Miles Hardwick –Unable | Charles How | |||||
Michael Hinde | POULTERER | Thomas Moore | ||||
Jonas Hotton | James Putnam | William Pettitt | ||||
David King | George Rickett | |||||
George Kitchener | COOPERS | Thomas Rivese | ||||
Robert Kitchener | John Davison | William Scott | ||||
William Kitchener –Lame | Thomas Osborn | Joseph Slatter | ||||
John Marshall | James Stratton | |||||
John Newell | WHEELWRIGHTS | |||||
David Ping – One eye |
James Dunton | SERVANTS | ||||
Jonas Rivett | Thomas Dunton | Thomas Dodson | ||||
Robert Spencer | William Dunton | Thomas Jones | ||||
William Spencer | George Grace | Thomas Lett | ||||
Matthew Stratton | Thomas Puttenham | |||||
Thomas Watts | TALLOW CHANDLERS | Samuel Wadsworth | ||||
West Whitmee | Thomas Dexter | George Wiggin | ||||
William Tutt | Samuel Wooding |
Horses | Wagons | Carts | |
William Andrews Used as pleasure horses in husbandry |
2 | – | 1 |
John Bannister | 1 | – | 1 |
Wiliam Bannister | 8 | 2 | 3 |
John Bowden | 1 | – | 1 |
Henry Brightman | 1 | – | 1 |
Robert Collingridge | 4 | 1 | 1 |
John Day | 8 | 2 | 3 |
John Day | 8 | 2 | 3 |
Thomas Gardener | 1 | – | 1 |
Elizabeth Gee | 1 | – | 1 |
George Griggs | 7 | 1 | 3 |
Joseph Harrold | 9 | 3 | 2 |
John James | 8 | 2 | 4 |
John & Willam James | 8 | 2 | 4* |
James Johnson | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Timothy Lineham | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Thomas Osborn | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Thomas Raban | 8 | 2 | 3 |
James Slater | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Joseph Todd | 1 | – | – |
John Wagstaffe | 1 | – | 1 |
Thomas Whitmee Snr | 6 | 1 | 2 |
Thomas Whitmee Jnr | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Robert York | 7 | 2 | 3 |
Robert York | 7 | 2 | 3 |
122 | 28 | 49 | |
*Also other horses used and entered for pleasure that would be able to draw about 10 |