Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) see cit. c. 1698.

1663		Wandring Whores Complaint 5: The ninth was a Ginny to lift up a grate.
1671		‘L.B.’ New Academy of Complements 204: The ninth is a Ginny, to lift up a Grate; / If he sees but the Lurry, with his Hooks he will bate.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ginny c. an Instrument to lift up a Grate, the better to Steal what is in the Window.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: Ginny, an instument to lift up a grate, the better to steal what is in the window.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 30: The Ninth is a Ginny, to lift up the Grate, / If he sees but the Lurry with his Hooks he will bait.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.