Green’s Dictionary of Slang

travelling on foot; also as adv.

1589		Nashe Pref. to Greene’s Menaphon (1610) B4: Beggers [have forgot] that euer they caried their fardles on footback .
c.1611		Fletcher Woman’s Prize I iii: Like St. George at Kingston, Running a footback from the furious dragon.
1630		J. Taylor ‘Odcomb’s Complaint’ in Works (1869) II 79: Should foot-back trotting Trauellers intend To match his trauels.
1649		J. Taylor Wanderings to see Wonders of West 25: I was on footback from Exeter to Honiton.
1690		‘Teague’ Teagueland Jests I 19: They pursued the rest of their Journey on Foot-back.
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.].
1910		‘O. Henry’ ‘The Fifth Wheel’ Strictly Business (1915) 66: Enough of the footback life for me.
1934		A. Russell Tramp-Royal 18: ‘Motor?’ ‘No . . .! footback!’.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 236/2: on footback – on foot. to go on footback – to walk.