Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. cloth.

1816		Proc. Old Bailey 18 Sept. 377/1: Donnelly said, they went to the Draper’s and went in on the screw and sneaked out a piece of broady. Q.What does the scraw mean - A.Turning round the latch of a door; broady, means broad cloth.
1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 5: Broady Materials of any kind. ‘Gentlemen finding their own broady, i.e. cloth, can be accommodated.’ Gen.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 147/2: We learned that Tom Kay had been engaged in ‘fencing’ some ‘broady’ that had been ‘twisted’ for.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1883		DT 7 Aug. 62: The prospectus further intimated that... gentlemen ‘finding their own broady... could be accommodated’ [F&H].

2. (UK Und.) anything considered worth stealing.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

3. money [but note broad n.¹ (3)].

1895

Mirror of Life 2 Feb. 10/3: Knowing the state of the ‘broady’ the old ’un did not look too minutely [...] as the ‘uffster’ was slung into his hand [...] we have just spoken of the want of the ‘broady’ at the East-end.