subs. (Manchester).—See quots.
1890. Daily Telegraph, 13 Dec. ‘SCUTTLING in Lancashire.’ SCUTTLING was a practice very prevalent within the county of Lancaster. The offence was committed by a body of young persons, male and female, belonging to one part of the city, who had a real or fancied grievance against another similar body of persons from an adjacent part. The opposing forces were armed with belts with large buckles to them, knives, pokers, stones, and the like, and the mobs so armed turned out at times for a regular affray, and inflicted serious injuries upon one another. Not only did these roughs enter into conflict with others of a similar class, but they frequently attacked unoffending passers-by.
1890. The Lancet, 20 Sept., 643. Manchester is becoming notorious for a form of street ruffianism known locally as ‘SCUTTLING.’ It consists of gangs of youths going about certain districts ostensibly to fight with similar gangs of adjacent districts.
