clewner, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

clewner n.

[ety. unknown; Ribton-Turner, A History of Vagrants (1887), suggests Gaelic cluainear, a cunning fellow, a hypocrite, or Erse cluanaire, a seducer, a flatterer, or Manx cleaynagh, a tempter]

a senior rank of villain.

c.1535

R. Copland Hye way to the Spyttel House Biiii: Syr, yet there is another company / Of the same sect, that lyue more subtylly / And be in maner as mayster wardayns / To whome these Rogers obey as capytayns / And be named Clewners, as I here say.