▪ I. catchpole, -poll
(ˈkætʃpəʊl)
Forms: ? 1 kæcepol, cæccepol, 2–4 cachepol, 4 cacchepol, 4–5 kachepol(l, 4–6 catchepoll, 5 cachepoll, cahchpolle, 6 catchepolle, -pole, catchipolle, catchpoule, catchpolle, 6–7 catchpol, 4– catchpoll, 6– catchpole.
[a. med.L. cacepollus, ONF. *cachepol = central OF. chacepol, chacipol, chassipol, in med.L. also cachepolus, chacepollus, chacipollus, chassipullus (Du Cange), lit. ‘chase-fowl’, one who hunts or chases fowls. The form of the word appears to indicate that it arose in Proven{cced}al, where it would be cassapol, or It., where it would be cacciapollo. The OF. was apparently adapted from Pr. or med.L.
A charter of 1107 (St. Hugues, Grenoble) has the word as a surname, ‘ego Franco cassat pullum’, ‘ego Franco de Biveu quem vocant cassa pullum’, where the first element is the Proven{cced}al, (and thence med.L.) verb cassare (:—L. captiāre) in 3rd pers. sing. Of similar names, Geraldus Cazaporcs ‘swine driver’ witnesses a charter of 1097 (St. Victor of Marseilles); Petrus Chaceporc, clericus regis Henrici III, witnesses a charter of 1246 (Bordeaux); Cacheleu appears as the older form of Chasseloup ‘wolf-hunter’; Cachepouil, in 15th c. Cachapeolls, f. pediculus louse, is the name of a mill near Perigueux. (P. Meyer.)]
† 1. A tax-gatherer, an exactor of taxes or imposts; a (Roman) publican. Obs.
| a 1050 ælfric Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 111 Exactor, kæce⁓pol [printed hæce wol]. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 97 Matheus þet wes cachepol þene he iwende to god-spellere. c 1500 Cocke Lorelles B. (1843) 4 Crystofer catchepoll a crystes course gaderer. a 1563 Becon Fasting in Catechism. &c. (1844) 536 What usurer leaveth his usury?..what catchpole his extortion? 1612–15 [see catchpoleship]. 1652 C. Stapylton Herodian xx. 167 Then all the Catchpole Officers were slain. |
2. A petty officer of justice; a sheriff's officer or sergeant, esp. a warrant officer who arrests for debt, a bum-bailiff. (Used in early times to render L. lictor; since 16th c., at least, a word of contempt.)
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xviii. 46 Crucifige, quod a cacche⁓polle I warante hym a wicche. 1382 Wyclif 1 Sam. xix. 20 Saul sente catchpollis [Vulg. lictores] for to take David. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 76 Quikliche cam a cacchepol and craked a-two here legges. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 58 Cahchpolle or pety-seriawnte, angarius, exceptor. c 1440 Gesta Rom. 21 (Harl. MS.) The Cachepollys And the mynistris of the Emperour mette with hem. 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden 9 As ready as any catchpoule..to torment him. 1607–72 Cowell Interpr., Catchpole, though now it be used as a word of contempt, yet, in ancient times, it seems to have been used without reproach. 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (1708) 3 Your Algouazils (or Catch poles) and your Devils are both of an order. 1760 Goldsm. Cit. W. xcviii, The catchpole watches the man in debt. 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. (1861) 81, I have a mortal antipathy to catchpolls, bumbailiffs, and little great men. 1841 Macaulay Ess., Hastings (1854) II. 623 Miserable catchpoles..with Impey's writs in their hands. |
b. attrib. and in comb.
| a 1643 Boys in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xlv. 2 The very catch-poll officers..gave this testimony. 1601 Downf. Earl Huntington i. iii. in Hazl. Dodsley VIII. 118 Follow him, ye catchpole-bribed grooms. 1784 Cowper Task ii. 684 As fast as catchpole claws Can seize the slipp'ry prey. |
Hence ˈcatchpolery, catchpollery [OF. chassipollerie, med.L. chacipollaria]; ˈcatchpoleship; ˈcatchpoll v., (a) intr. to exercise the function of a catchpole; (b) trans. only in pass., to be seized or arrested by a catchpole; ˈcatchpolling vbl. n.
| 1576 Newton tr. Lemnie's Complex. (1633) 93 The fourth part of the goods, for their catchpolling, falleth to them, for their lot and share. 1604 Dekker Honest Wh. xii. Wks. 1873 II. 66 A rescue (prentises) my masters catchpol'd. 1612–15 Bp. Hall Contempl. N.T. iv. iii. (1833) 175 This catchpole-ship of Zaccheus carried extortion in the face. 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (1708) 2 A Devil catchpol'd, and not a Catchpole bedevil'd. 1835 Fraser's Mag. XII. 171 All the duns, bums..and the other accursed components of that diabolical system called ‘Catchpollery’. |
▪ II. † catchpole, -ule
var. cachespell, tennis.
| 1663 Blair Autobiog. i. (1848) 8 The exercise of my body by archery and the catchpole. |