The Posse Comitatus (from the latin phrase meaning the force, or manpower, of the County) was drawn up following the passing of the Defence of the Realm Act in 1798 when fear of invasion by Napolean was at its height. The High Sherrifs of every county were instructed to list the names and occupations of all able-bodied men between the ages of fifteen and sixty not already engaged in military activies (excluding peers and clergymen).   Thus John Penn Esq. ordered the Petty Constables to make lists of those residing in each Parish. Millers, bakers, and wagon- or cart-owners were to be specifically identified.

Complete returns for the Posse Comitatus of 1798 survive for no county in England and Wales other than Buckinghamshire. Summaries or partial lists exist for some counties, while for others there is merely an allusion in the lieutenancy papers to the returns being made, or else no record at all.

From the point of view of the history of Frieth the information is interesting but, as Frieth has always been within the parish of Hambleden and there is no information in the document about where within the parish these people lived or worked, it is difficult to draw any specific conclusions, indeed "Frieth" is not mentioned in the document at all.

The document is divided into Hundreds and then into Parishes. Hambleden Parish lies within Desborough Hundred. In the Hundred of Desborough there were: 14 Parishes, 1883 Men, 1118 Horses, 326 Waggons, 458 Carts and 8 Watermills.

Note: The apparent duplication of names in the list means that there were two people of that name (quite often father and son)

PARISH OF HAMBLEDEN
Persons keeping Draught Horses	Horses	Waggons	Carts
William Abbott	10	2	2
Samuel Aubrey	7	3	2
Richard Barlow	1	-	1
James Beesley	6	2	2
Thomas Beesley	7	2	3
Edmund Brangwin	6	3	3
Francis Brangwin	5	2	2
John Collins	8	2	2
Richard Cook	4	1	2
Abraham Dean	6	3	2
Daniel Dean	10	3	3
George Dean	9	2	3
John Dean	6	2	2
William Denham	4	2	2
William Denham	1	-	1
Mrs East	8	2	3
William Fisher	10	4	3
William Hassey	4	1	1
Richard Hayward Esq	7	1	2
Thomas Hobbs	8	3	2
John Dean Howe	4	3	2
John Jemmett	6	3	2
William Keen	5	2	2
John King	7	2	2
John Matthews	4	1	2
John Newell	6	3	2
James Smith	10	2	3
Ann White	5	2	2
John White	6	2	2

Gentleman	Victuallers
John Fisher	William Hobbs
	William Plummer
Mealman	James Waiters
Richard Fisher
	Bricklayer
Farmers	Thomas Smith
William Abbott
William Abbott Jnr	Cordwainers
Francis Brangwin	Francis Gunnell
Richard Cook	Thomas Hobbs
Daniel Dean	Robert Towers
Francis Dean	John Tranter
Francis Dean	John Walker
George Dean	John Weedon
William Dean	William Weedon
Edmund Deance
William Denham	Dealer
John Fisher	John Hobbs
John Dean Howe Snr
John Dean Howe Jnr	Wheelwrights
Thomas Hussey	Thomas Hawes
William Hussey	George Richardson
John King
John Matthews	Blacksmiths
John Newell	William Ayress
James Smith	Charles Gray
	Stephen Williams
Millers
Edward Chandler	Sawyer
George Gould	Richard White
Nightley Gray Servant
John Morgan	Basketmaker
John Thatcher	Charles Stone
Wharfingers	Taylor
John Hobbs	Vernall Hobbs
John Hobbs Snr
John Hobbs Jnr	Apprentices
William Plummer	Robert Brimshire
	Robert Grimshire
Bakers	Francis Hobbs
William Feesey	Richard Wyatt
Abraham Hobbs	John Yelks
Carpenters	Constable
Samuel East	Jeremiah Lane
William Jones
Richard Rockall
Plow makers
Edmund Barlow
John Barlow
Richard Barlow
Robert Barlow
Servants	Labourers
Matthew Aldridge	John Austin
John Ayress	William Ayress
Joseph Bird	Benjamin Bailey
Richard Brown	Jonathan Beesley
William Champin	Daniel Bushnell
James Clements	John Bushnell
Richard Clouday	Thomas Bushnell
Humphrey Coats	Robert Clements
James Collins	Samuel Clements
John Collins	William Clements
Philip Drew	Charles Collins
William Drew	Charles Collins Jnr
Richard East	Thomas Cooper
William Elmer	William Cordery
James Godley	Daniel Davis
William Goodall	Daniel Davis Jnr
John Gouldhawk	William Denkam
Charles Gouldin	William Drew
Nightly Gray	Daniel East
Samuel Guttridge	John East
Edward Higgs	Thomas East
William Hoar	William East
John Hobbs	Edward Edney
Brester Hussey	Henry Floyd
Ephraim Ives	John Fowler
Joseph Jackson	William Frewin
John Janes	John Gammon
Leonard Kealey	John Goodall
William Knight	William Gouldswain
Robert Lane	Charles Gray
James Loader	George Gray
Charles Lovejoy	James Gray
Thomas Lovelock	John Gray Snr
Jesse Messenger	John Gray Jnr
James Moors	William Gray
Francis Morgan	John Green
William Morris	Robert Harman
John Munday	Henry Hatchman
Richard Munday	Charles Hayward
John Nickalls	Joseph Higgins
Edward Parker	John Hobbs
John Patrick	Robert Hobbs
James Pearce	William Hobbs
John Pigden	William Hobbs
William Robinson	John House
Samuel Russell	John Humphreys
William Russell	Thomas Jackson
Edward Sawyer	Richard Jones
John Seller	Richard Jones
Edward Shogmore	William Jones
John Skinner	Joseph Keeley
Thomas Stevens	Leonard Keeley
William Streame	Richard King
James Strong	William Kirby
John Symonds	Town Lathan
John Weedon	Henry Looker
Thomas Wells	John Looker Jnr
John Wheedon	Martin Lovelock
John Wheeler	Thomas Mead
James Wicks	John Munday
John Woods	Thomas Neighbour
	Thomas Nibbs
	George North Jnr
	Henry North
	George Parker
	John Plummer
	Samuel Plummer
	John Randall
	John Robinson
	George Rockall
	Thomas Rogers
	Jonathan Russell
	Thomas Russell
	Richard Seller
	Edward Smart
	Jonathan Smith
	John Spicer
	Richard Stone
	William Wallis
	James Webb
	John Webb
	William Webb
	John Wheeler
	Daniel White
	Henry White
	Samuel White
	William White
	Zachary White
	Zachery White
	David Woods
	Thomas Young

[ The full document is now available online from the Buckinghamshire Record Society http://www.bucksinfo.net/brs/online-volumes/volumes-20-22/ ]