St Martin’s (le Grand), n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

St Martin’s (le Grand) n.

also Martin-le-Grand, Martin’s, Martin’s-le-Grand

[rhy. sl.; St Martin’s le Grand was a monastery and college founded c.1050; its bells rang the nightly curfew, and prisoners on their way from Newgate to Tyburn regularly passed it; those who managed to escape were able to claim sanctuary within its walls – thieves and coiners were accepted, Jews and traitors were barred. It was suppressed in 1540, and its only memory is a street name]

a hand.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 146: ST. MARTIN’S-LE-GRAND, the hand.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1859].
1873		Sl. Dict.
1893		P.H. Emerson Signor Lippo 55: One day he walked straight into this kitchen clobbered in a pair of rounds, tight to his legs, [...] and a long sleeve cadi on his napper, and a pair of turtles on his martins.
1953		J. Franklyn Cockney 293: After he had his Rosy Lea (tea) he took a Martin-le-Grand (hand) at Wilkie Bards (cards).
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 268: On the Johnny Horner I must stand / In this land of the yet-to-be, / ’Olding out my Martin’s-le-Grand / For the price of a Rosie Lee.
1960		J. Franklyn Dict. of Rhy. Sl.