The Able Bodied Men of Wing in 1798
At the time the Posse Comitatus was taken in February 1798, the powers-that-be had concerns that they would have difficulty raising up a civil force should France invade England. They therefore directed that returns be prepared of men that could serve in the event of riot, insurrection or invasion. Buckinghamshire is the only county for which the Posse Comitatus survives in its entirety, for which we can count ourselves very fortunate as it forms the equivalent of a census (albeit adult males only) for that year.
All able bodied men (not already serving in a military capacity) between the ages of 15 and 60 in Wing in 1798 were required to be listed. If a name appears twice, this indicates more than one man with the same name. “Servant” most likely indicates a live-in labourer, as distinct from “labourer” who would live elsewhere.
In addition, anyone not meeting the above pre-requisites but an owner of horses, wagons or carts was also required to be listed, hence the presence of two women in the list (plus a few extra men who we can deduce are likely to be farmers over 60). There were a total of 170 horses, 23 wagons and 87 carts recorded for Wing. The Posse Comitatus also recorded details about mills – as well as Hugh Howes and his water mill there was a windmill “to be taken down immediately”.
The Buckinghamshire Posse Comitatus 1798 by Ian F.W. Beckett was published by the Buckinghamshire Record Society in 1985 – please visit their website at http://www.bucksrecsoc.org.uk/ to view the entire volume online along with some of their other out-of-print publications. This listing of Wing residents has been extracted and reproduced here with their kind permission.
| Name | Occupation and Remarks |
| Thomas Abbott | labourer |
| William Abbott | servant |
| James Actell | servant |
| Robert Adams | farmer, 9 horses, 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| Thomas Adams | farmer |
| Richard Arnoll | servant |
| Thomas Ashpole | 4 horses, 3 carts |
| William Ashpole | labourer |
| Mrs Badrick | 4 horses, 1 wagon, 1 cart |
| Henry Bailey | servant |
| John Baker | labourer |
| John Baker | labourer |
| William Bandy | servant |
| Harry Bateman | labourer |
| John Bates | labourer |
| Richard Bates | labourer |
| Robert Bates | labourer |
| William Bates | labourer |
| William Belcher | labourer |
| George Belgrove | farmer, infirm, 6 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Thomas Bessy | labourer |
| William Bignall | labourer |
| John Bilby | labourer |
| William Bilby | labourer |
| John Bone | labourer |
| John Bone | 3 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Joseph Bone | servant |
| Thomas Bone | dealer |
| Thomas Bone | labourer |
| William Bone | victualler |
| William Bone | labourer |
| John Bonnan | labourer |
| William Bradbury | labourer |
| John Brand | labourer |
| John Browncill | labourer |
| Richard Bryant | servant |
| John Buckingham | labourer |
| Daniel Bull | labourer |
| John Bull | servant |
| Joseph Bull | labourer |
| Francis Burrows | higler, 1 horse, 1 cart |
| John Burrows | labourer |
| Thomas Burrows | labourer |
| William Burrows | labourer |
| William Burrows snr | labourer |
| Francis Cabbin | servant |
| George Cabbin | servant |
| James Cabbin | labourer |
| John Cabbin | labourer |
| William Cabbin | labourer |
| Francis Capp | labourer |
| Stephen Capp | labourer |
| Thomas Capp | labourer |
| William Carter | labourer |
| George Castleman | servant |
| William Chapman | labourer |
| Isaac Cheshire | labourer |
| William Cheshire | cordwainer, infirm |
| Joseph Clare | labourer |
| Daniel Clark | servant |
| Francis Clark | labourer |
| Robert Clark | labourer |
| William Cobb | servant |
| Richard Collins | labourer |
| William Collins | farmer |
| John Culverhouse | farmer, 5 horses, 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| William Culverhouse | farmer, 4 horses, 2 carts |
| John Cutler | servant |
| John Cutler | servant |
| John Cutler | labourer |
| Michael Cutler | farmer, 6 horses, 1 wagon, 1 cart |
| Michael Cutler jnr | labourer |
| Thomas Cutler | labourer |
| Matthew Denchfield | farmer, 1 horse, 1 cart |
| Revd Doctor De Salis | vicar of Wing, 9 horses (2 used as carriage horses), 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| Thomas Dey | labourer |
| William Dickins | labourer |
| John Dimmock | labourer |
| Joseph Dimmock | servant |
| Matthew Dimmock | farmer |
| Matthew Dimmock | farmer, 2 horses, 2 carts |
| Richard Dimmock | labourer |
| Robert Dimmock | labourer |
| Thomas Dimmock | labourer |
| Thomas Dimmock jnr | labourer |
| William Dimmock snr | labourer |
| William Dimmock | labourer |
| Dominic Dormer | labourer |
| Daniel Elliott | farmer, 8 horses, 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| John Elliott | farmer |
| Thomas Elliott | farmer, 8 horses, 1 wagon, 4 carts |
| James Fleckney | servant |
| Thomas Fletcher | labourer |
| John Flint | servant |
| John Fo(r)kett | farmer, 4 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| William Fossey | labourer |
| John Foster | labourer |
| Thomas Foster | servant |
| Richard Fountain | servant |
| Richard Fountain | 4 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Thomas Foxley | labourer |
| Thomas Freeman | servant |
| John French | servant |
| Henry Gaskin | sawyer |
| John Gaskin | servant |
| James Gaskin | labourer |
| Matthew Goss | labourer |
| Thomas Gower | labourer |
| John Green | labourer |
| Thomas Green | labourer |
| William Green snr | labourer |
| William Green jnr | labourer |
| Philip Harding | labourer |
| Francis Hardwick | labourer |
| John Hardwick | labourer |
| William Hardwick | labourer |
| Francis Harper | labourer |
| Joseph Harper | labourer |
| Joseph Harper jnr | labourer |
| Robert Harris | labourer |
| William Harris | labourer |
| Thomas Harriss | labourer |
| John Hart | carpenter |
| George Hartwell | labourer |
| John Hartwell | labourer |
| William Harven | labourer |
| Thomas Heady | labourer |
| Thomas Heady jnr | labourer |
| William Hedges | servant |
| William Hedges | labourer |
| Harry Heley | farmer, infirm |
| Harry Heley | baker |
| John Heley | butcher |
| Thomas Heley | farmer |
| William Heley | farmer |
| William Heley | farmer, 7 horses, 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| John Higgins | labourer |
| George Hitchcock | servant |
| Roger Hitchcock | servant |
| William Hobby | servant |
| Thomas Hodgins | labourer |
| Richard Hodgkins | servant |
| Thomas Hogg | farmer, 3 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Brightwell Hollyman | labourer |
| George Honor | labourer |
| John Hopcraft | labourer |
| George Hounslow | labourer |
| Thomas Hounslow | labourer |
| William Hounslow | labourer |
| Hugh Howes | farmer, 4 horses, 1 wagon, 4 carts |
| Hugh Howes [same man?] | occupier of water mill grinding an average of 20 qtrs weekly |
| John Howes | labourer |
| Thomas Ingram | labourer, infirm |
| John Inns | labourer |
| William Inns | servant |
| Thomas Innwood | servant |
| William Innwood | servant |
| Richard Inwood | labourer |
| Joshua Janes | blacksmith |
| James Jeffs | labourer |
| Thomas Jeffs | labourer |
| William Jennings | taylor |
| John Jolly | cooper |
| Thomas Jolly | cooper |
| William Jordan | labourer |
| Richard Kempster | labourer |
| Edward King | labourer |
| John King | labourer |
| William King | labourer |
| James Lason | servant |
| Harry Lathwell | labourer |
| William Lathwell | butcher |
| David Lee | labourer |
| John Lock | blacksmith |
| William Lock | blacksmith |
| Henry London | labourer |
| Henry Manning | servant |
| William Mason | labourer |
| William Mead | labourer |
| William Menard | farmer, 4 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Daniel Millins | servant |
| William Millins | labourer |
| Thomas Mobley | farmer, 6 horses, 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| William Mobley | baker |
| Daniel Monk | labourer |
| Benjamin Mooring | labourer |
| John Moors | labourer |
| John Mortimer | farmer |
| John Mortimer | farmer, 3 horses, 3 carts |
| Harry Munday | labourer |
| John Munday | servant |
| Thomas Munday | servant |
| Isaac Muxon | servant |
| William Neeves | labourer |
| P(aul) Newens | farmer, 5 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| James Newman | servant |
| Robert Nicholls | labourer |
| Thomas Nicholls | servant |
| Thomas Nicholls | servant |
| William Northwood | blacksmith |
| Thomas Orchard | servant |
| Thomas Packer | labourer |
| John Page snr | labourer |
| John Page jnr | servant |
| Benjamin Pease | labourer |
| John Pease | labourer |
| Harry Peat | labourer |
| Joram Pollard | labourer |
| Thomas Pollard | labourer |
| John Pratt | labourer |
| Richard Pratt | labourer |
| John Prentis/Prentice | farmer, 7 horses, 3 carts |
| Thomas Prentis | farmer |
| Edward Pryer | labourer |
| John Pryer | labourer |
| George Putnam | labourer |
| William Radwell | labourer |
| Edward Randle | labourer |
| John Read | labourer |
| John Reeve | butcher |
| Thomas Reynolds | labourer |
| Guy Rickard | labourer |
| Richard Rickard | labourer |
| John Robinson | servant |
| William Roddle | labourer |
| Daniel Row | labourer |
| William Saban | servant |
| Bernard Saunders | labourer |
| Francis Saunders | bricklayer |
| Francis Saunders | glazier |
| Thomas Sawyer | servant |
| Francis Sayell | 4 horses, 3 carts |
| John Scarborough | apprentice |
| Thomas Shackley | farmer, 9 horses, 1 wagon, 4 carts |
| Richard Shirley | farmer |
| Stephen Shirley | 3 horses, 3 carts |
| Edward Short | labourer |
| William Simmons | cordwainer |
| Joseph Sinfield | labourer |
| Arthur Smith | labourer |
| Benjamin Smith | labourer |
| Francis Smith | labourer |
| John Smith | servant |
| Joseph Smith | labourer |
| Thomas Smith | servant |
| James Southam | labourer |
| James Stevens | labourer |
| John Stevens | servant |
| Robert Stevens | servant |
| Thomas Stevens | farmer, 6 horses, 1 wagon, 3 carts |
| William Strange | labourer |
| Richard Stratt | labourer |
| John Syratt | labourer |
| John Tavinner | servant |
| Matthew Taylor | labourer |
| Richard Thorn | labourer |
| Thomas Thorp | labourer |
| John Tofield | farmer, infirm, 4 horses, 2 carts |
| Joseph Tofield | farmer |
| Thomas Tofield | farmer |
| Thomas Tow | labourer |
| Richard Truly | labourer |
| Guy Turner | labourer |
| Edward Vicass | servant |
| Thomas Walduck | labourer |
| Daniel Webster | labourer |
| Daniel White | labourer, infirm |
| James White | labourer |
| Thomas White | labourer |
| William White | labourer |
| William Wiggins | labourer |
| John Willison | 6 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Edward Wills | labourer |
| William Wilmer | labourer |
| Henry Wilson | labourer |
| John Wilson | labourer |
| William Windmill | victualler |
| John Wood | victualler, 1 riding horse, 1 cart |
| Henry Woodman | farmer |
| Mrs Woodman | 4 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Robert Woodman | farmer, 4 horses, 1 wagon, 2 carts |
| Thomas Woodman | farmer, 12 horses, 1 wagon, 4 carts |
| Thomas Woodman snr | farmer |
| Verey Woodman | farmer |
| Verey Woodman | baker |
| William Woodman snr | farmer |
| William Woodman jnr | farmer |
| Daniel Woodroffe | taylor |
| John Woolhead | labourer |
| Joseph Woolhead | labourer |
| Thomas Woolhead | servant |