Old Cant. A seal.
1561. 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 † Jarkman, an educated beggar, who fabricates counterfeit passes, licences and certificates for others.
1561. 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. Mountagu, 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 Beggers practise writing and reading: and those are called Iackmen.
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 81.
