Green’s Dictionary of Slang

one who hides themselves to avoid labour.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Skulker. A soldier who by feigned sickness, or other pretences, evades his duty; a sailor who keeps below in time of danger; in the civil line, one who keeps out of the way, when any work is to be done.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1816		Lancaster Gaz. 30 Nov. 4/1: Al abuses Dol. Dol calls Ala skulker.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1836		F. Chamier Ben Brace (3 edn) 11: Captain Surridge [...] kept his hawk’s eye upon all skulkers.
1845		Western Times 8 Mar. 3/3: That prisoners in gaols are commonly called ‘skulkers,’ and adepts in every deception, is notorious.
1855		H.A. Wise Tales for the Marines 353: You confounded skulk, hurry and get tea.
1865		Dublin Eve. Mail 19 June 2/4: He has steadily refused from year to year to sanction a skulker’s franchise.
1873		C.H. Smith Bill Arp’s Peace Papers 50: The good ones are gettin killed up, but these skulkers and shirkers and dodgers don’t die.
1888		W.B. Churchward Blackbirding In The South Pacific 22: If I kept out of his way, he would go for me all the same, call me a skulker.
1893		‘’Arriet on Labour’ in Punch 26 Aug. 88/1: The ’Oly Cause o’ Labour, Sam’s / [...] / a thing as skulkers makes the most tremendous rout about.
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 11 May 498: And there were no skulkers! A whole nation had sprung to arms.
1917		Brooklyn Dly Eagle (NY) 5 Aug. 21/1: [headline] How the Skulkers Behind the Skirts Lined Up [...] Hoping to Avoid Consciption.
1929		(con. 1916) F. Manning Her Privates We (1986) 7: Mr Halliday [...] called them a lot of bloody skulkers.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 281: ‘Skulker!’ he cried. ‘What the hell are you cringing about this locality, sponging off—’.