subs. phr. (thieves’).—1. A thief who steals lead from the roofs of buildings. [HOTTEN:—Sometimes a journeyman plumber, glazier, or other workman, who, when repairing houses, strips off the lead, and makes away with it. This performance is, though, by no means confined to workmen. An empty house is often entered and the whole of the roof in its vicinity stripped, the only notice given to the folks below being received by them on the occasion of a heavy downfall of rain. The term FLYER has, indeed, of late years been more peculiarly applied to the man who steals the lead in pursuance of his vocation as a thief, than to him who takes it because it comes in the way of his work].
2. Fr. limousineur; gras-doublier; mastaroufleur. Hence TO FLY THE BLUE PIGEON = to steal lead from the roofs of houses. Fr. faire la mastar au gras-double; ratisser du gras double.
1789. G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 165. BLUE PIGEON FLYING. Fellows who steal lead off houses, or cut pipes away.
1872. J. DORAN, Notes and Queries, 4 S., x., 308. Even at the present day, no rascal would stoop to strip lead from the roof of a house. At least, what honest men would call by that name, he would prettily designate as ‘FLYING THE BLUE PIGEON.’
1901. Daily Telegraph, 21 March, 11. 5. Persons addicted to what is known among the criminal classes as ‘FLYING THE BLUE PIGEON,’ usually mount on to the roofs of buildings that are covered with the metal, and this they do at times when they are least likely to be observed or interrupted.
