Green’s Dictionary of Slang

smacking-cove n.

a coachman.

1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) n.p.: Smacking-cove A Coach-man.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew [as cit. 1674].
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. 1674].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1674].
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 114: Coachman A smoaking [sic] Cove.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 16: A Coachman – Smacking-cove.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1862		E. de la Bédollière Londres et les Anglais 318/1: smacking cove, un cocher.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 76: Smacking Cove, a coachman.