leathern conveniency, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

leathern conveniency n.

also leathern convenience, leathern sanctuary

[orig. 17C Quaker jargon; note Ned Ward's use of lolling convenience, a couch or bed, in A Frolic to Horn Fair (1704); early (17C) coaches were seen as more ‘convenient' than a single horse, thus J. Crossel (1662) worried as to a lapse in morals: ‘the conveniency of the passage makes their wives often come up [to London], who rather than come such long journeys on horseback, would stay at home. Here, when they come to town, they must go in the mode, get fine clothes, go to plays and treats, and by these means get such a habit of idleness and love of pleasure, that they are uneasy ever after’]

1. a stage-coach.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Leathern Convenience (by the Quakers), a Coach.
1699		N. Ward London Spy VII 151: Our Leathern Conveniency being bound in the Braces to its Good Behaviour had no more Sway than a Funeral Hearse.
1700		T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 109: They [i.e. Quakers] will wear the best favours and richest silks, use the leather convenience, [etc.].
1714		T. Lucas Lives of the Gamesters (1930) 261: A ravenous assembly of amphibian scoundrels [...] were ready to pluck them out of the windows of their leathern sanctuary.
1718		S. Centlivre Bold Stroke for a Wife V i: I remember thou didst come up in the Leathern Conveniency with me.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1771		R. King New London Spy 112: We had secured a leathern convenience.
1784		Rambler’s Mag. Jan. 8/1: A Bath stage going by, he embarked on board the leathern convenience.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1801		C.K.Sharpe in Correspondence (1888) i 102: I left Oxford with Stapleton in his mama’s leathern conveniency.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1824		W. Scott St Ronan’s Well (1833) 221: At the duly appointed hour, creaked forth the leathern convenience, in which, carefully screened by the curtain [...] sat Nabob Touchwood.
1831		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 5 Feb. 4/4: The fat porter waddling out of his ‘leathern conveniency,’ offered me egress.
1839		Blackburn Standard 5 June 1/5: I will pay thee when we get into yonder leathern conveniency (meaning [...] the stage coach).
1845		R.S. Surtees Hillingdon Hall I 204: The Jehus got their masters and mistresses cooped into their melon frames and leathern inconveniences.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 170: leathern conveniency a carriage. A Quaker being reprimanded by the Society of Friends for keeping a carriage, ‘contrary to the ancient testimonies,’ said, ‘it is not a carriage I keep, but merely a leathern-conveniency.’.
1874		London Standard 3 Oct. 5/4: The malle poste was a two-wheeled gig of very ancient construction, a leathern conveniency.
1876		(ref. to 1564) H.E. Malet Annals of the Road 4: The Queen's coachman [...] did a great deal in 1564 towards bringing coaches into use; and his style of ‘conveniency’ was greatly improved upon by the Earl of Arundel in 1580.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 44: Leathern Conveniency, a hansom cab.

2. a purse.

1830

Lytton Paul Clifford II 273: [...] drawing forth a little silk purse, that contained still less than the leathern convenience of the squire.