Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 3 (of 7)

by John Stephen Farmer; William Ernest Henley

1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., ii., 4. Oh rare! he doth it as like one of these harlotry players, as ever I see.

Harman-beck (or Harman), subs. (old).—An officer of justice. For synonyms, see Beak and Copper.

1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. The harman-beck, the constable.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-All. With the harman-beake out and alas to Whittington we goe.

1656. Broome, Jovial Crew, ii. Here safe in our skipper let’s cly off our peck, And bowse in defiance o’ th’ harman-beck.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Harman-beck, a Beadle.

1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4th ed.), p. 12. Harminbeck, a Constable.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Harman Beck, a beadle (cant).

1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xvii. From the watchmen who skip On the Harman Beck’s errand.

1828. Lytton, The Disowned. The worst have an awe of the harman’s claw.