Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) a constable.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: the harman beck the Counstable.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: The Ruffin cly the nab of the Harman beck.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 43: If that we be spied, O then begins our woe, / With the Harman beake out and alas / To Whittington we goe.
1612		Dekker Canting Song O per se O O1: Duds and Ruffe-pecke, rombol’d by Harman-becke and won by Mawnders feates.
1621		Jonson Gypsies Metamorphosed 34: If Beckharman come heel strike vs all dumbe.
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush III iv: Let the queer-cuffin / And harmanbecks trine, and trine to the ruffin.
1639		J. Taylor Crabtree Lectures 195: Cove. I doe not fear any Harmanbeck, or Pug, nor doe I care for Cly the Ierke.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew IV ii: Bing awast, The Quire Cove and the Harmanbeck.
1651		T. Randolph Hey for Honesty III i: By these good stampers, upper and nether duds; I’le nip from Ruffmans of the Harmanbeck, Though glimmer’d in the fambles, I cly the chates.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 65: The Harmanbeck, Huntsman or Constable seeing this [...] set a pack of young yelping Curs to track the scent.
1674		‘The Beggars Curse’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 14: We may happen on the Harmans, and cly the Iarke, or to the quire ken, and scowre quire crampings, and so to trymming on the chetes.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Harman-Beck, the Constable.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Harman, c. a Constable [...] Harman-beck, c. a Beadle.
1703		Hell Upon Earth 5: Harminbeck, a Constable.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 194: The Ruffin nab the Cuffin-quere, and let the Harmanbeck trine with his Kinchins about his Coloquaron .
1714		A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 209: He taught his Pupil a deal of canting Words, telling him [...] Harmanbeck, a Constable.
1724		‘Frisky Moll’s Song’ in J. Thurmond Harlequin Sheppard 22: I Frisky Moll, with my rum coll, / Wou’d Grub in a bowzing ken; / But ere for the scran he had tipt the cole, / The Harman he came in.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 113: Constable A Harman.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 16: A Constable – Harmanbeck.
1754		G. Stevens ‘A Cant Song’ Muses Delight 177: The harmans tap’d her, but d—me to hell, / I plumpt ’m, and sav’d ’er from limbo.
1768		(con. 1710–25) Tyburn Chronicle II in Groom (1999) xxviii: A Harman A Constable.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Harman, a constable. [Ibid.] Harman beck. A beadle.
1786		Oxford Jrnl 4 Mar. 3/2: Thou has the luck to squeak now and so thy friends must go to quod and scour the cramp rings, whilst thou livest at ease with the Harmenbeck.
1790		‘The Bowman Prigg’s Farewell’ in Wardroper (1995) 283: But pray don’t you bring it yourself: / Harmans are at the Old Bailey. / I’d rather you would send it behalf, / For if they tout you they’ll nail you.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1820		J. Thurtell q. in Borrow Lavengro (1851) I 312: Fare ye well, for a green-coated buffer and a Harmanbeck.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 93: Harman — a constable: Harman-beck, a beadle.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 17: Harman – a constable.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		‘Scene in a London Flash-Panny’ Matsell Vocabulum 98: They were spotted by the harmans, and so we walked Spanish.
1869		‘Canter’s Holiday’ in W.H. Logan A Pedlar’s Pack of Ballads 142: Hang all Harmanbecks, we cry.
1881		Trumble Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1922		Joyce Ulysses 405: Land him in chokeechokee if the harman beck copped the game.

2. a beadle.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Harman-beck c. a Beadle.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 5: Beck or harman – a beadle.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.

3. a sheriff.

1859

Matsell Vocabulum.