Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to work as a professional beggar, esp. to pose as a wounded or discharged soldier.

1601		Jonson Poetaster I ii: An honest decayed commander, cannot skelder, cheat, nor be seene in a bawdie house, but he shall be straight in one of their wormewood comedies.
1633		S. Marmion A Fine Companion III iv: Hee is either trudging now vnto a broaker [...] or else Wandring abroad to skelder for a shilling.
1822		Sir W. Scott Peveril of the Peak IV 57: She hath many a thousand stitched to her petticoat; such a wife would save thee from skeldering on the public.

2. to swindle, to defraud; thus skeldering, begging, swindling.

1599		Jonson Every Man Out of his Humour characters: Shift, a thread-bare shark; [...] He lives upon lendings. His profession is skeldering and odling, his bank Paul’s.
1601		Jonson Poetaster I i: There was the mad skeldering captain.
1609		Dekker Gul’s Horne-Booke 27: He shall now and then light upon some Gull or other whom, he may skelder (after the gentle fashion) of money.
1611		L. Barry Ram-Alley I i: Now, you pernicious cockatrice, / You see how I must skelder for your good.