18th Century Wooden Legs

Last updated: Jan 5, 2024

In 18th century illustrations, wooden legs exclusively appear on men – most often in contexts where it is clear that they are current or former military or seamen. In political satires, they tend to appear on impoverished disabled veterans. Some, like Billy Waters, have taken up working as fiddlers.

• A fiddler in The Milkmaid’s Garland, or Humours of May Day by Francis Hayman, 1741-1742
• An Election III: The Polling and An Election IV: Chairing the Member by William Hogarth, 1754-55
• A crippled soldier with his family, c. 1760
• The Proclamation of Proclamations, 1763
• A begging sailor in Charity Begins at Home, 1764
• A beggar in View of the King's Gate and entrance to the South Terrace, Windsor Castle by Paul Sandby, c. 1765
• A sailor in A Rescue, or the Tars Triumphant by John Collet, 1767
• Two old soldiers
• Commodore Hawser Trunnion in Gamaliel Pickle Observes Commodore Trunnion and Lieutenant Hatchway Duel at the Inn, 1769
• A Sketch of a Beggar from the Life, 1770
• A fiddler in High Life below Stairs, 1770
• A fiddler with The Dancing Bear, 1771
• The Victorious Return of the City Militia, 1772
• Piety in Pattens or Timbertoe on Tiptoe, 1773
• A veteran in The Military Contrast, 1773
• A postilion in The Spital Fields Phaeton, 1773
• The City Train’d Bands Recruiting Serjeant, 1773
• The Mutual Embrace, 1774
• Billiards, 1775
• The Disbanded Soldier, 1775
• An officer in The Feast of the Gods, 1780
• A scullery boy in A Peep in a Camp Kitchen by an over drove Ox, 1780
• A fiddler in Sailors Carousing
• A fiddler with two wooden legs in The Asylum for the Deaf, late 18th century
• An old military officer in Fought All His Battles O’er Again and Thrice He Slew the Slain, 1782
• An old sailor in A Lugsail Privateer towing a Crippled Man of War into Port, 1783
• Fable of the Beggar and his Dog, 1784
• An old soldier in Long Sermons amd Long Sieges are apt to Lull the Senses, 1784
• Chelsea pensioners in The Westminster Deserter drum’d out of the Regiment, 1784
• A fiddler in Liberty Enlightened, 1784
• A veteran in Mars and Venus, or Sir Cecil Chastised, 1784
• Veterans in Sir Cecils Budget for Paying the National Debt, 1784
• A Chelsea pensioner in Plumpers for S^r Judas, or the Chelsea Pensioners Revenge by Isaac Cruikshank, 1784
• A fiddler in May-Day in London, 1784
• A naval officer, possibly Admiral Paisley, at Vaux-Hall, 1785
• A Peg-Legged Beggar, with Donkey and Children, Asking a Lady for Alms Outside One of the City Gates by David Allan, c. 1785
• A naval officer in Voyage to Margate, 1786
• A fiddler (“I still am a merry song maker”), The Jovial Crew or Merry Beggars, 1786
• A soldier/fiddler in Greenwich-Park, 1786
• Full and Half-Pay Officers, 1786
• An old sailor in A new way to pay the National-Debt, 1786
• Brook Watson in The Gentlemen Pensioners, 1786
• A naval officer in Uncle George and Black Dick at Their New Game of Naval Shuttlecock, 1787
• Upright Billy alias Orator Humbug, 1788
• Old soldiers in The Vice Q—’s delivery at the Old Soldier’s Hospital in Dublin, 1789
• City militia, 1789
• Moses Kean’s imitation of John Henderson’s Hamlet, 1790?
• A drunk officer in Studying Politics, or the Bon Companions, 1790
• The Greenwich Pensioner, 1790-1791
• A recruit in The Recruiting Serjeant taken in, or all Fair above Board, 1791
• The Greenwich Pensioner, 1791
• A fiddler in Prelude to the Riot in Mount Street, 1792
• John Bull after Reform Begun in Reform Advised / Reform Begun / Reform Compleat, 1793
• A naval officer in The Smoaking Club, 1793
• A military officer in A Smoking Club, 1794
• The Veterans, 1795
• A drummer in Supplementary-Militia, turning out for Twenty-Days Amusement, 1796
• A Chelsea Pensioner enjoying his Grandchildren, 1796
• John Bull & his Dog Faithful, 1796
• Brook Watson in Beginning the New Year, 1796
• A Sea Captains Description of a Fox Chace, 1797
• A veteran in The Vetrans Petition!!, 1800
• A ragged Englishman in Union between England & Ireland, c. 1800
• An army pensioner by Isaac Cruikshank