Publisher's Synopsis
"In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Britain was at war with France -- with only a brief truce -- for over 20 years. A whole generation grew to maturity having known no other existence than the threat or reality of military combat. ... Owing to its geographical position, Sussex was in the front line of the nation's defence. ... In 1798, the first Defence Act sought to establish how many active adult men were capable of service in the nation's defence; who could serve as wagon drivers, boatmen and the like in the event of evacuation; how many individuals might have to be evacuated; and details of vehicles, livestock and stockpiles of provisions. The resultant returns were updated in 1802; the 1803 Defence Act renewed the search for reliable information to underpin the country's defence. ... These records illuminate the life of the rural Sussex community during a brief period of heightened national danger. They provide
