Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also voter for Lushington) a drunkard; thus dealing with Lushington, Alderman Lushington is concerned, voting for the Alderman, Lushington is his master, the Lushington system, to be drinking too much [voter for Lushington supposedly fr. Radical MP Charles Lushington (1847-52) whose supporters were known as heavy drinkers].

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 251: Speaking of a person who is drunk, they say, Alderman Lushington is concerned, or, he has been voting for the Alderman.
1821		‘An Amateur’ Real Life in London II 377: I do swear that I have been an inhabitant of the City of Lushington for the space of — years; and that I have taken within its walls — pots of porter, — glasses of jackey, and smoked — pipes.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1812].
1824		Annals of Sporting 1 Mar. 207: [as a state of drunkenness]Another [fighter] tumbled up, not in much better trim, as to Lushington.
1825		Pierce Egan’s Life in London 6 Feb. 13/2: [H]is nob was a little out of order on the Lushington system.
1834		‘Of All The Blowings On The Town’ in Flash Chaunter 5: Her mother she’s a lushington, / And stone blind drunk all day man.
1835		Metropolitan Mag. XIV Sept. 334: I was had enough at that time, (principally through Alderman Lushington though, I believe.) I have, however, several times since then been all but a croaker in this infernal start, and to-morrow I shall be a stiff’-un to a certain.
1833		‘Moll Slobbercock’ in Funny Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 46: Not mot but my own, for the lushington cove.
1835		Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas.) 25 Aug. 7/4: John Mulligan, John Williams, Henry Calley, John McCarthy and Samuel Everett, professed friends of Lord Lushington, were each fined 5s.
1838		R. Nicholson Cockney Adventures 17 Mar. 154: The unfortunate Mr. Jacob Lushington Jebb took to spirit-drinking in the morning.
1841		‘Biddy The Basket Woman’ Dublin Comic Songster 125: We’ve councils, elections, hustings, rolls, / But Lushington gets all the votes there.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 18 Feb. 4/1: The Editorial Lushington. Rumours are afloat relative to a night spree of a certain Editor [etc].
1844		New Sprees of London 4: [A] dead lushington sees nothing of life, because half his time he is blind drunk.
1847		[A. Harris] (con. 1820s) Settlers & Convicts 257: Though a good man in other respects he was a great ‘Lushington’.
1847		Bell’s Life in Sydney 18 Dec. 2/5: Lushingtonians of either sex have this week been presented in Court.
1849		Sam Sly 6 Jan. 3/1: Sam advises Jim O—y, the notorious lushington [...] to reform his idle and dissolute habits. This fellow is a regular beer-barrel—a disgrace to humanity.
1852		Empire (Sydney) 8 May 2/7: Mr. Kettle then asked if Lord Montagne was not drunk - if he was ever sober, and if his right name was not Lord Lushington.
1855		Yokel’s Preceptor 9: Flabby Poll. This is a dirty slovenly trull, a regular lushington and prig.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 64/1: They sell it at the public-houses to the ‘Lushingtons,’ and to them, with plenty of vinegar, it goes down sweet.
		Sportsman 30 Aug. 2/1: Notes on News [...] [We] have also seen a to us well-known ‘voter tor Lushington’ singing teetotal hymns with great unction .
1877		J. Diprose London Life 93: A club entitled ‘City of Lushington’ exists [...] at the ‘Harp’.
1883		J. Greenwood Odd People in Odd Places 160: They’d tell me that there were plenty of sober men about, and that they couldn’t trust a ‘lushington’.
1886		Eve. News (Sydney) 27 Apr. 7/4: I had lifted a lushington of £8.
1890		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer I 216: The best eddicated chaps are the worst lushingtons when they give way.
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.].
1904		Belfast News-Letter 15 June 6: ‘Lushington’ is of modern origin.
1920		Singleton Argus (NSW) 13 Mar. 2/3: Out of sheer kindness he piloted the lushington to his door, and to his surprise the boozer’s wife gave the good-hearted one the rough side of her tongue.
1927		(con. 1835–40) P. Herring Bold Bendigo 114: He goes the pace and prides himself on being a Lushington as well as a Corinthian.
1936		Referee (Sydney) 17 Dec. 2/5: He was not a lushington like his brother Jim, and ruffled it with care and moderation.
1977		D. Powis Signs of Crime 192: Lushington An alcoholic.

2. alcohol; drunkenness.

1824

Pierce Egan’s Life in London 19 Dec. 381/2: O’Neal is [...] a civil, quiet, inoffensive fellow [...] and a great enemy to Lushington .