subs. (old).—A waiting-woman; a lady’s maid. [Abigail, a waiting gentlewoman in The Scornful Lady (1616) by Beaumont and Fletcher: also see 1 Sam. xxv. 24–31.] Hence ABIGAILSHIP (GROSE). Cf. ANDREW, ACRES, etc.
1663. KILLIGREW, The Parson’s Wedding, ii. 6 [DODSLEY, Old Plays (1780), xi. 390]. The welcomest thing to Mrs. Abigail [a waiting woman], except Tib and Tom in the stock.
1666. PEPYS, Diary, iv. 195. By coach to the King’s play-house, and there saw ‘The Scornful Lady’ well acted; Doll Common doing ABIGAIL most excellently, and Knipp the widow, very well.
1693. CONGREVE, The Old Bachelor, iii. 6. I begin to smoke ye: thou art some forsaken ABIGAIL we have dallied with. Ibid. (1700), The Way of the World, v. 1. A botcher of second-hand marriages between ABIGAILS and Andrews.
1694. Reply to Ladies and Batchelors Petition [Harleian Miscellany, IV. 440]. Whereas they [the chaplains] petition to be freed from any obligation to marry the chamber-maid, we can by no means assent to it; the ABIGAIL, by immemorial custom, being a Deodand, and belonging to holy Church.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, A Dialogue between Two Oxford Scholars, in Works, i. 6. It is ten to one but there is an ABIGAIL … that must be Married.
1709. WARD, Terræ Filius, vi. 11. ABIGAIL … was Aminidab’s servant till happening to uncover her Nakedness … he thought it best … to take the Damsel to Wife.
1715. ADDISON, The Drummer, ii., 1. But here comes Abigail. I must teaze the baggage.
1727. SOMERVILLE, Fables, ‘Officious Messenger.’
| Her ladyship began to call | |
| For hartshorn, and her ABIGAIL. |
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas (1812), IV. I know well enough how to behave with ABIGAILS and actresses.
1750. FIELDING, Tom Jones, XI. ii. The mistress was no sooner in bed than the maid prepared to follow her example. She began to make many apologies to her sister ABIGAIL for leaving her alone.
1771. SMOLLETT, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker (1815), 57. An antiquated ABIGAIL dressed in her lady’s cast clothes.
1803. JANE PORTER, Thaddeus of Warsaw [WARNE], 72. The appellation ‘Mistress’ put her in mind of her … ABIGAILSHIP.
1809. MALKIN, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], iii. This precious ABIGAIL … was just as young, just as pretty, and just as loose as her mistress.
1827. BULWER-LYTTON, Pelham, xxiii. At the end of that time the ABIGAIL released me.
1837. CARLYLE, The Diamond Necklace, v. Mantuamaker, Soubrette, Court-beggar, Fine-lady, ABIGAIL, and Scion-of-Royalty.
1858. G. ELIOT, Mr. Gilfil’s Love-Story, iii. Mrs. Sharp, then a blooming ABIGAIL of three-and-thirty, entered her lady’s private room.
1900. LYNCH, High Stakes, viii. Van Duyn turned to the ABIGAIL. ‘May we open the window?’ ‘If the gentleman pleases,’ the woman returned stiffly.
