Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) a nobleman, a gentleman.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: gentry cofe a noble or gentleman.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: A Gentleman is called a Gentry Coue, or Cofe: A good fellow is a Bene Cofe.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: A ben cove, a brave cove, a gentry cuffin.
1620		Song of the Beggar in Dodsley (1826) 15: If a Gentry Cove be comming, / Then straight it is our fashion, / My Legge I tie, close to my thigh, / To move him to compassion.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: Here’s Ruffpeck and Casson, and all of the best, / And Scraps of the Dainties of Gentry Cofe’s Feast.
1654		Witts Recreations ‘Fancies & Fantasticks’ No. 126: There’s a Gentry Cove here, / Is the top of the shiere, / Of the Bever Ken, / A man among men.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Gentry-cove c. a Gentle-man.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: Gentry-cove, a gentleman. Gentry-mort, a gentlewoman.
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.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel II 131: ‘Tour out,’ said the one ruffian to the other; ‘tour the bien mort twiring at the gentry cove!’.
1837		Disraeli Venetia I 151: She brought the knife to Plantagenet [...] saying ‘Yam, yam, gentry cove’.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1888		Lancaster Gaz. 22 Feb. 4/1: Follow that hansom ahead and run the gentry cove down. Scotland yard. Are you fly?
1906		A. McCormick Tinkler-Gypsies of Galloway 104: The following words appear to be still in use in one form or another amongst Galwegian tinkler-gypsies – a gentry cove of the ken – a gentleman from the house below.

(UK Und.) a nobleman’s or gentleman’s house; cit. 1608 uses country cove, suggesting the owner of a country mansion.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 83: A gentry cofe’s ken, a noble or gentleman’s house.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Belman’s Second Nights Walk B2: If we [...] dup the gigger of a Country coves Ken, to the quier cuffin we bing.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 38: Gentry Cous ken, a Gentlemans house.
1637		Dekker ‘Canters Dict.’ Eng. Villainies (8th edn) [as cit. 1608].
1648		Dekker ‘Canters Dict.’ in Eng. Villainies (9th edn).
1674		‘The Beggars Curse’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 14: [as cit. 1608].
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Gentry Cofes Ken, a Noble Mans House.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Gentry-cove-ken, c. a Nobleman’s or Gentleman’s House.
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 n.p.: Gentry cove ken, a gentleman’s house.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 15: Gentry ken – a gentleman’s house.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

(UK Und.) a gentleman’s house.

c.1850

Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.

(UK Und.) a noblewoman, a gentlewoman.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: a gentry morte A noble or gentle woman.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: The Canters Dictionary Gentry Mort, a Gentlewoman.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 38: Gentry mort, a Gentlewoman.
1612		Dekker ‘Canting Song’ O per se O 03: By the Solomon, No gentry mort hath prats like thine, No dell e’er wapped with such a one.
1637		Dekker ‘Canting Song’ in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) [as cit. 1612] .
1648		Dekker ‘Canters Dict.’ Eng. Villainies.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Gentry-Mort, A Gallant Wench.
a.1674		‘The Rogues . . . praise of his Stroling Mort’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 19: [as cit. 1612].
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Gentry Mort, a Gentlewoman.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Gentry-mort a Gentlewoman.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit (5 edn) 195: Tout thro’ the Wicker, and see where the Gully pikes with the Gentry-mort, whose Muns is the rummest I ever touched before.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: Gentry-cove, a gentleman. Gentry-mort, a gentlewoman.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1741		Ordinary of Newgate Account of the Malefactors executed at Tyburn 18th March 1740 part II 7: The next exploit Jenny went upon was, Slanging the Gentry Mort rumly with a sham Kinchin.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 14: A Gentlewoman – Gentry-mort.
1764		Bloody Register III 170: The next exploit Jenny went upon was, Slanging the gentry mort rumly with a sham Kinchin (that is, cutting well the woman big with child).
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.