This following is from A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew (London, 1698), which was “a dictionary of English cant and slang by a compiler known only by the initials B. E.. With over 4,000 entries, it was the most extensive dictionary of non-standard English in its time, and was used as a source by many subsequent dictionaries.” [x]
The dictionary describes a criminal underworld that operates under a complex division of labour, and an even more complex pecking order. Their Ranks, or Orders, scattered in the entries, go from the kingpins on top to the infants at the bottom. It’s fascinating, and a bit depressing.
I looked these Ranks up, took some liberties in modernising (some of) the spelling, put them in order, and present them to you here. So this is my contribution to Rogue Research™. If you spot a mistake, kindly let me know.
~ Rogue
The Twenty-Seven Orders
1. Rufflers: the first Rank of Canters; also notorious Rogues. To ruffle, to disorder any thing.
2. Upright-men: the second Rank of the Canting Tribes, having sole right to the first night’s lodging with the Dells. Go upright, said by tailors and shoemakers, to their servants when any money is given to make them drink, and signifies, bring it all out in drink, tho’ the donor intended less and expects change or some return of money.
3. Hookers: the third Rank of Canters ; also Sharpers.
4. Rogues: the fourth Order of Canters. A Rogue in Grain, a very great Rogue. A Great-be-rogue, a sturdy swinging Rogue.
5. Wild-Rogues: the fifth Order of Canters, such as are trained up from children to nim buttons off coats, to creep in at cellar and shop-windows, and to flip in at doors behind people; also that have been whipped, burnt in the fist and often in prison for roguery.
6. Priggers or Prancers: the sixth Order of the Canting Crew, horse-stealers, who carry a bridle in their pockets, a small pad saddle in their breeches.
7. Palliards: the seventh Rank of the Canting Crew, whose fathers were born beggars and who themselves follow the same trade, with sham sores, making a hideous noise, pretending grievous pain, do extort charity.
8. Fraters: The eighth Order of Canters, such as beg with a sham-patents or briefs for spitals, prisons, fires &c.
9. Priggs: the ninth Rank of Canting Rogues, Thieves.
10. Swaddlers: the tenth Order of the Canting Tribe. To swaddle, to beat lustily with a cane or cable’s end. I’ll swaddle your hide, I’ll bang your back.
11. Curtals: the eleventh Rank of the Canting Crew.
12. Irish Toyles: the twelfth Order of Canters; also Rogues carrying pins, points, laces,and such like wares about, and under pretence of selling them, commit thefts and robberies.
13. Swig-men: the thirteenth Rank of the Canting Crew, carrying small habberdashery-wares about, pretending to sell them to colour their Roguery. A hearty swig, a lusty draught. To swig it off, to drink it all up.
14. Jarke-men: the fourteenth Order of the Canting Tribe; also those who make counterfeit licences and passes, and are well paid by the other beggers for their pains.
15. Patrico, or Patercove: the fifteenth Rank of the Canting Tribe, strolling priests that marry under a hedge without Gospel or Common-prayer Book, the couple standing on each side a dead beast, are bid to live together till death them do’s part, so shaking hands, the wedding is ended; also any Minister, or Parson.
16. Kinchin-coes: the sixteenth Rank of the Canting Tribe, being little children whose parents are dead, having been beggars; as also young lads running from their Masters, who are first taught canting, then thieving.
17. Abram-men: the seventeenth Order of the Canting-crew. Beggars anticly tricked up with ribbands, red tape, foxtails, rags, &c, pretending madness to palliate their thefts of poultrey, linnen, &c.
18. Mad Tom: alias of Bedlam, the eighteenth Rank of Canters.
19. Whip-Jacks: the nineteenth Order of the Canting Crew; counterfeit mariners begging with false passes, pretending shipwrecks, great losses at sea, & narrow escapes; telling dismal stories, having learnt Tar-terms on purpose, but are mere Cheats.
20. Counterfeit-Cranks: the twentieth Rank or Order of the Canting Tribe.
21. Domerars: Rogues, pretending to have had their tongues cut out, or to be born dumb and deaf, who artificially turning the tip of their tongues into their throat, and with a stick making it bleed, weak people think it the stump of their tongue; one of whom being asked hastily how long he had been dump? answered but three weeks; this is the twenty first Order of Canters, the word also signifying mad-men.
22. Glimmerer: the twenty second Rank of the Canting Tribe, begging with sham licences , pretending to losses by fire, &c.
23. Bawdy-baskets: the twenty third Rank of Canters, with pins, tape, obscene books, &c to sell, but live more by stealing.
24. Autem mort: a married-woman, also the twenty fourth Order of the Canting Tribe, travelling, begging (and often stealing) about the country, with one child in arms another on back, and (sometimes) leading a third in the hand.
25. Doxies: She-beggars, trulls, wenches, whores, the twenty fifth Rank of Canters ; being neither maids, wives, nor widows, will for good viernals (?), or a very small piece of money prostitute their bodies, protesting they never did so before, and that mere necessity then obliged them to it (though common hackneys). These are very dextrous at picking pockets (in the action) and so barbarous as often to murder the children thus got.
26. Dells: the twenty sixth order of the Canting Tribe; young buxom wenches ripe and prone to venery, but have not lost their virginity, which the upright man pretends to, and seizes: then she is free for any off the fraternity; also a common strumpet.
27. 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.
The Five Ancient Orders
1. Cursitors: Vagabonds; the first (old) Rank of Canters.
2. Faytors: the second (old) Rank of the Canting Crew.
3. Roberds-men: the third (old) Rank of the Canting Crew, mighty thieves, like Robin-hood.
4. Draw-Litches: the fourth (old) Order of the Canting Tribe of Rogues.
5. Sturdy-beggers: the fifth and last of most ancient Order of Canters.
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