fencing, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

fencing n.

receiving or dealing in stolen goods; thus fencibles n., stolen goods.

1661		Hue and Cry after Mercurius Democritus 8: The number of vicious Artists are unknown to the Mrs [i.e. Masters] and the Wardens of their own fencing Mobs [...] the life of which Company are High-way Pads, Glasiers, Shop-lifts, Fob-sylers [sic], instead of Bung -Tipers [sic] Bulkers,a nd some for the Mill, Budg and Snug.
1793		Bacchanalian Mag. 43: And fencing is our lay / And tho’ old iron we hang out, / We take in pewter, tick, or clout.
1799		‘Cant Lang. of Thieves’ Monthly Mag. 7 Jan. n.p.: Fencing of Prads Selling of Horses.
1830		W.T. Moncrieff Heart of London II i: craig: Aby Houndsditch. aby: Here. covey: Of the Rag Fair Fencibles.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Apr. 12/1: The Herald doesn’t go so far as to say that Sir John Robertson is a ‘fence,’ but it says that ‘fencing’ is part of his system. Whether Sir John will answer through the Press or the law we cannot say, but – we await his answer.
1941		V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 156: Bill [...] transacted his fencing via one man.
1958		E. Gilbert Vice Trap 57: This isn’t any pissy-ant fencing bit.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 41: A bit of rural screwing where the fencing came unstuck.
1972		P. Fordham Inside the Und. 24: Technical know-how or special knowledge which helps with ‘fencing’.
1979		P. Hamill Deadly Piece 70: The cops think he’s been working with the Cubans in coke, shylocking and fencing, out in Brooklyn.

fencing crib (n.) [crib n.¹ (1)]

the shop, house or room from which a receiver operates.

1837–8		‘Slashing Costermonger’ in Cuckold’s Nest 11: I’ve made my sons quite gemmen, too, / And they’re such slashing men, sirs, / One of ’em keeps a fencing crib, / And two a bawdyken, sirs.
1839		(con. 1724) W.H. Ainsworth Jack Sheppard (1917) 249: It [i.e. a door] only leads to the fencing crib.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 113: A ‘fencing crib,’ is a place where stolen goods are bought or hidden.
1848		Ladies’ Repository (N.Y.) Oct. VIII:37 316/1: Fencing Crib, The residence of a person who buys stolen property.
1855		Yokel’s Preceptor title page: Here will be found A Capital Show-Up of the Most Infamous Pegging Kens, Sharking Fakes, Gulping Holes, Bellowsing Rooms, Fencing Cribs, Molly Clubs, Dossing Hotels, Fleecing Holes.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 84/2: Among the curiosities of Granny Dixon’s ‘fencing crib,’ we noticed a black hen, famous in its day for its shoplifting propensity.
1871		G.A. Brine letter 3 July in Ribton-Turner (1887) n.p.: It is there [i.e. criminal ‘padding-kens’] they dispose of their ill-gotten gains, for great numbers of them are regular ‘fencing-cribs’.
1882		Dundee Courier (Scot.) 3 Nov. 7/5: It is there they dispose of their ill-gotten gains, for great numbers of them are regular ‘fencing cribs’.
1906		E. Pugh Spoilers 256: It wasn’t from the Nottin’ Dale crib at all. None o’ the boys at the ken there knew nothing’ about it.

fencing cully (n.) [cully n.¹ (5)]

a receiver and seller of stolen goods.

1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Fencing Cully, One that receives stollen goods.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn).
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Fencing Cully c. a Broker, or Receiver of Stolen-goods.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) (1926) 205: [...] Fencing cully, a broker or receiver of stolen goods.
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. 14: A Receiver of stoln Goods – Fencing-cully.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1902		J.H. Yoxall Rommany Stone 116: Shoplifts, cackling-coves, fencin’-cullies, spruce-prigs, basks, snudgers, jacks, an’ bloody-murderers — there wasn't a one in the Newgit Calendar as you couldn't nab.

fencing ken (n.) [ken n.¹ (1)]

the shop, house or room from which a receiver operates.

1676		A Newgate ex-prisoner A Warning for House-Keepers 4: Glasiers, are the right quarrel-pickers, they are a sort of cowardly thieves [...] very fearful of the least noise that is, so having got out, he makes all haste away to his fencing cins [sic], where he will brag of his bold attempt .
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Fencing Ken c. the Magazine, or Ware-house where Stolen-goods are secured.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 205: [as cit. c.1698].
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.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		‘Ned Buntline’ Mysteries and Miseries of N.Y. I 38: His outside customers, many of whom were petty thieves [...] used his house as a fencing ken.
1871–82		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.