Just like today, the criminal element in our ancestors’ society were generally tried before a judge and jury. Unlike today, you had to be of sufficient character (ie of sufficient financial worth!) to be eligible to serve on a jury.
Eligibility depended on the annual value of the freehold land or property you owned – and naturally you had to be male and between the ages of 21 and 70. From 1664 the value was £20 which was apparently sufficient to restrict jury duty to a “better class” of men (although £80 per annum was required in order to serve on a Grand Jury). Unfortunately this minimum meant the prospective pool of jurors was a bit small, so in 1692 it was altered to £10. In 1732 the Act For The Better Regulation of Juries also included for the first time those with leasehold property of £20 per annum. These two limits were retained in the Juries Acts of 1825 and 1870 and on into the 20th century when the property qualification was officially abolished altogether in 1972.
Lists of those residents meeting the above criteria had to be prepared each year by the local constable and delivered to the courts each Michaelmas. There were two separate courts that used these jury lists, the Assize courts for more serious crimes (held twice a year at Lent and Summer) and the Courts of Quarter Sessions for minor crimes and other administrative matters (held four times a year at Epiphany, Easter, Midsummer and Michaelmas). There were also Petty Sessions for very minor crimes which could be dealt with by a magistrate rather than a jury. For Buckinghamshire the Lent assizes (plus all quarter sessions) were held at Aylesbury while the Summer assizes (from 1758) were held at Buckingham.
Of course, being on the jury list didn’t mean you would necessarily be called to serve. Some of the jury lists do have extra notations which appear to record when the individual did in fact serve.
If you don’t find any of your ancestors below, perhaps you’ll have more luck with my compilation of Wing criminals and their colourful stories!
William ADAMS and William PEELE, jurors in a case against the inhabitants of Middle and East Cleydon – sometime 1705-1712
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 5 Oct 1769: Thomas ADAMS gent, Henry WOODMAN junr, Thomas HELEY, Richard BARTON, Francis COLES
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 8 Oct 1778: Robert ADAMS, Francis COLES, William TOFFIELD, Francis SAYELL, Edward BROMSON, John MORTIMER, Richard BARTON, William HEELEY, Henry WOODMAN, William LOCK
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 10 Oct 1782: John MORTIMER, Robert ADAMS, Francis SAYELL, Edward BROMSON, Richard BARTON, William HEELEY, Thomas HEELEY chief const, William LOCK
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury at Aylesbury for 1784: Robt ADAMS yeoman, William SCOTT labr, Thos HELEY victlr, Willm HELEY yeoman, Richd BARTON yeoman, Edward BROMSON yeoman, Francis SAYELL yeoman, John MORTIMER yeoman, Thos WOODMAN Sr yeoman, Thos WOODMAN Jr yeoman, Willm LOCK blacksmith
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 6 Oct 1785: Robert ADAMS, William SCOTT, Thos HELEY, William HELEY, Joseph MORTIMER, Richard BARTON, William LOCK, Edward BROMSON, Fras SAYELL, Thos WOODMAN junr, Thos WOODMAN senr
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 5 Oct 1786: Robert ADAMS, Francis SAYELL, Edward BROMSON, Thomas WOODMAN senr, Thomas WOODMAN junr, Joseph MORTIMER, William HELEY, Thomas HELEY, Richard BARTON, William LOCKE, William SCOTT
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 8 Oct 1789:
| Robert ADAMS | Farmer | Eas 88 | |
| NP LA 1790 | William SCOTT | do | Mic 87 |
| Francis SAYELL | do | Eas 88 | |
| Edward BROMSON | Dairyman | NP sa 89 | |
| Thomas WOODMAN senr | Farmer | Mic 89 | |
| Thomas HELEY | Victualler | ||
| NP LA 1790 | William HELEY | Farmer | CJ LA 87 |
| Thomas MORTIMER | Dairyman (infirm) | ||
| NP LA 1790 | William GRIFFIN | Gent | |
| William LOCK | Blacksmith | Mic 89 |
[LA = Lent Assizes; SA = Summer Assizes; Eas = Easter; Mic(h) = Michaelmas; CJ = Crown Jury]
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 7 Oct 1790
| CJ LA 1791 | Robert ADAMS | Eas 88 |
| CJ LA 1791 | Francis SAYELL | do |
| Edward BROMSON | NP SA 89 | |
| Thomas HELEY | ||
| CJ LA 1791 | Joseph MORTIMOR | |
| William GRIFFIN | NP LA 90 | |
| William LOCK | Mic 89 | |
| Thomas WOODMAN Senr | do | |
| CJ LA 1791 | Thomas WOODMAN Junr | |
| William HELEY | NP LA 1790 |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 6 Oct 1791:
| Robert ADAMS | Yeoman | LA 91 | |
| Midr 1792 | William SCOTT | Yeoman | |
| Francis SAYELL | Dairyman | LA 91 | |
| “ | Edward BROMSON | Dairyman | |
| “ | William LOCK | Blacksmith | |
| Thomas HELEY | Innholder | LA 90 | |
| “ | Thomas WOODMAN Senr | Yeoman | |
| Thomas WOODMAN Junr | Yeoman | LA 91 | |
| William GRIFFIN | Yeoman | LA 90 |
[Mid(r) = Midsummer]
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 4 Oct 1792:
| Robert ADAMS | Farmer | LA 91 |
| Francis SAYELL | Dairyman | do |
| Thomas HELEY | Victualler | do 90 |
| William LOCK | Blacksmith | Mid 92 |
| William GRIFFIN | Yeoman | LA 90 |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 10 Oct 1793:
| CJ LA 94 | Robert ADAMS | Farmer | LA 91 |
| CJ LA 94 | Francis SAYELL | Dairyman | do |
| Thomas HELEY | Victualler | do 90 | |
| William LOCK | Blacksmith | Mid 92 | |
| CJ LA 94 | William GRIFFIN | Yeoman | LA 90 |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 9 Oct 1794:
| Robert ADAMS | Farmer | CJ SA 94 |
| Francis SAYELL | Dairyman | CJ SA 94 |
| Thomas HELEY | Victualler (very infirm) (Dr de Salis – he may not be summoned) | LA 90 |
| William LOCK | Blacksmith | Mid 92 Mic 95 |
| William GRIFFIN | Yeoman | CJ LA 94 |
| Daniel ELLIOTT | Dairyman | Mich 1795 |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 8 Oct 1795: Robert ADAMS farmer, William HELEY farmer, Thomas ELLIOTT farmer, William GRIFFIN yeoman, William LOCK blacksmith, Francis SAYELL farmer, Thomas WOODMAN farmer, Daniel ELLIOTT farmer, John WILLISON farmer
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 6 Oct 1796:
| Robt ADAMS | Farmer | |
| Fras SALE | Dairyman | |
| Danl ELLIOTT | do | Mic 95 |
| Thos ELLIOTT | Farmer | |
| John WOOD | Publican | |
| Wm WINDMILL | do | |
| Wm LOCK | Blacksmith | Mic 95 |
| Thos WOODMAN Senr | Farmer | |
| John WILLISON | do | |
| Thos WOODMAN Junr | do | |
| Wm GRIFFIN | Yeoman | |
| Wm HELEY | do |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 5 Oct 1797:
| NP LA 97 | Robert ADAMS | Farmer |
| NP LA 97 | Francis SAYELL | Dairyman |
| Danl ELLIOTT | do | |
| John MORTIMER | do | |
| GJ Eas 97 | John WILLISON | Farmer |
| Mich 98 | Wm LOCK | Blacksmith |
| CJ LA 97 | Wm GRIFFIN | Yeoman |
| Mich 98 | Stephen SHIRLEY | Dairyman |
| GJ Eas 97 | Willm WINDMILL | Innkeeper |
[GJ = Grand Jury]
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 4 Oct 1798:
| Mich 99 | John HART | Carpenter |
| Mics 98 | Stephen SHIRLEY | Dairyman |
| CJ LA 97 | William GRIFFIN | Yeoman |
| do | Robert ADAMS | Farmer |
| [Mich] 99 | Daniel ELLIOTT | Dairyman |
| [Mich] 99 | John WALTER | Dairyman |
| [Mic] 98 | William LOCK | Blacksmith |
| [G]J Eas 97 | John WILLISON | Farmer |
| Mich 99 | William HELEY | do |
| GJ Eas 97 | William WINDMILL | Publican |
| Mich 99 | Thomas ELLIOTT | Farmer |
| Mich 99 | William BONE | Publican |
| Mich 99 | John WOOD | Farmer |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 10 Oct 1799:
| Mich 98 | Stephen SHIRLEY | Dairyman |
| Mich 99 | Danl ELLIOTT | do |
| Mich 99 | John HART | Carpenter |
| do | Thos ELLIOTT | Yeoman |
| Mich 98 | Wm LOCK | Blacksmith |
| Mich 99 | John WOOD | Farmer |
| Mich 98 | Wm HELEY Senr | do |
| John WILLISON | do | |
| Wm HELEY Junr | Yeoman | |
| Mich 99 | John WALTER | Farmer |
| do | Wm BONE | Victualler |
| Wm WINDMILL | do | |
| Robt ADAMS | Farmer |
A List of all persons qualified to serve on the Jury 9 Oct 1800:
| Mid 1801 | Robert ADAMS | Farmer |
| Mic 99 | John WALTER | do |
| do | Daniel ELLIOTT | do |
| do | Thomas ELLIOTT | Yeoman |
| William WINDMILL | Victualler | |
| Mic 99 | William BONE | do |
| do | William HELEY | Farmer |
| do | John HART | do |
| William LOCK | Blacksmith | |
| Mid 1801 | Stephen SHIRLEY | Farmer |
| Mic 1801 | John WILLISON | do |
Return of men qualified to serve on Juries 1826: Thomas ADAMS farmer of Burcott copyhold, Thomas BRANDOM blacksmith of Ascott copyhold, Francis CAPP carpenter of Wing copyhold, William COLLINS farmer of Crafton poor rate, Willliam ELLIOTT farmer of Old Park copyhold, Robert ELLIOTT farmer of Old Park poor rate, Richard FOUNTAINE farmer of Wingberry poor rate, William HELEY maltster of Wing copyhold, Henry HELEY farmer of Wing poor rate, William HART farmer of Wing Field free and copy hold, Thomas HART farmer of Ascott Field poor rate, Joseph LUCK farmer of Crafton copyhold, William MORTIMER innkeeper of Wing freehold, John PRENTICE farmer of Ascott Field poor rate, Thomas REYNOLDS farmer of Wing copyhold, George ROADS farmer of Cottesloe poor rate, William ROSE farmer of Tinkersole freehold, George TOFFIELD farmer of Cottesloe poor rate, Thomas & John WOOD farmers of Burcott poor rate, William WYATT farmer of Burcott Lodge poor rate, William WOODMAN jr farmer of Crafton poor rate, Thomas WOOODMAN farmer of Crafton poor rate