† jark Old Cant.
A seal.
| 1561 J. Awdelay Frat. Vacab. 4 A counterfaite Lisence, which they call a Gybe, and the seales they call Iarckes. 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 78 They [counterfeit sailors] have alwaies a Counterfeit Pass or License which they call a Gybe, and the Seals thereunto Jarkes. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxix, ‘This is a jark from Jim Ratcliffe’, said the taller, having looked at the bit of paper. |
Hence † ˈjarkman, an educated beggar, who fabricates counterfeit passes, licences, and certificates for others.
| 1561 J. Awdelay Frat. Vacab. 5 A Iarkeman [mispr. 1575 Iackeman] is he that can write and reade, and sometime speake latin. He vseth to make counterfaite licences which they call Gybes, and sets to Seales, in their language called Iarkes. 1567 Harman Caveat xv. 60 These two names, a Iarkeman and a Patrico, bee in the old briefe of vacabonds... A Iarkeman hathe his name of a Iarke, which is a seale in their Language, as one should make writinges and set seales for lycences and pasporte. 1622 Fletcher Beggar's Bush ii. i, Come, princes of the ragged regiment..Jarkman, or patrico, cranke, or clapperdudgeon, Frater, or abram-man. 1624 Bp. R. Montagu Gagg iii. 35 A counterfeit passe made by some jarkman under an hedge for a rogue. 1834 H. Ainsworth Rookwood iii. v. (Oath Canting Crew), No jarkman, be he high or low. |
¶ Following the misprint in the 1575 ed. of quot. 1561, jackman has been sometimes taken as the right form.
| 1608 Dekker Belman Lond. D iij, Some in this Schoole of Beggars practise writing and reading: and those are called Iackmen. 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 81. |