subs. (old cant).—See quots.
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, p. 76. A KYNCHING MORTE is a lytle Gyrle; the Mortes their mothers carries them at their backes in their slates, whiche is their shetes, and bryngs them vp sauagely, tyll they growe to be rype, and soone rype, soone rotten.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. KINCHIN-MORTS, the Twenty-seventh and last Order of the Canting Crew, being girls of a year or two old whom the Morts (their Mothers) carry at their Backs in Slates (Sheets) and if they have no children of their own they borrow or Steal them from others.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s. v.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. KINCHIN. KINCHIN MORTS in slates, beggars children carried at their mothers backs in sheets.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, xxviii. The times are sair altered since I was a KINCHIN MORT.
