Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. burdened with, trapped.

1845		R. Ford Hbk for Travellers in Spain 49: The chief object will be to combine in as small a space as possible the greatest quantity of portable comfort [...] There is no worse mistake than lumbering oneself with things that are never wanted .
1905		A. Binstead Mop Fair 108: I have been lumbered on to a fake.
1934		Film Fun 8 Sept. 1: Although Ollie had arranged to meet her, he could hardly do so, lumbered up with these boxes as he was.
1959		F. Durbridge A Time of Day (1989) 122: The place would start filling up at about half past nine to ten, but in the meantime he was lumbered with this bird.
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 25: Suppose one of youse had been lumbered with some newchum dimwit who’d let a few of yer woolly jumbucks go bush, eh?
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 109: His reflection was interrupted by the tickets he had been lumbered with. Who to take?
1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 76: [They] both knew they’d been lumbered fair and square.
1983		T. Paulin ‘Martello’ in Liberty Tree 51: To hear them one’d think / that instead of being lumbered / with a rotten shower of prize idiots / this was God’s own acre we’re holding—.
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 10: He eywis goat lumbered washin the strips eftir the fives at Meadowbank.
2011		J.J. Connolly Viva La Madness 22: So I get lumbered with Sonny.

2. defeated, in trouble.

1887		Bulletin (Sydney) 5 Nov. 13/4: For instance, if I tell my mate ‘I’ll see you in Sheol before I bake this time,’ can I be lumbered?
1902		‘The Wasp’ ‘Takes of the Penance Track’ in Bulletin (Sydney) 31 May 31/2: If the scraps contained, as they often did, a betting list, it showed a nice discrimination on the part of the wind for which the ‘lumbered’ Ikey Mo was truly grateful.
1911		L. Stone Jonah 8: I’ll gi’ yer a kick in the neck, if yer git me lumbered.
1956		‘Charles Raven’ Und. Nights 156: He had been lumbered in his turn.
1968		D. Cammell Performance [film script] United we stand, divided we’re lumbered.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 71: ’E’s got us lumbered bang to rights.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 23: When the shit hits the fan, boy, it’s you who’s going to get lumbered.

3. (UK und.) arrested (and tried/imprisoned) on concocted evidence.

1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 6: Lumbered: Framed or put up.
1961		T. Taylor Baron’s Court All Change (2011) 45: ‘I’ve been nicked, and lumbered at that!’.