Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) a hole; thus a prison, a cave.

1612		Dekker O per se O N3: He is an angler for duds who hath a ferm in the nab of his filch.
1637		Dekker Eng. Villainies (8th edn) M3: Every one of them carries a short staffe [...] which is called a Filch, having in the Nab or head of it, a Ferme (that is to say a hole).
1648		Dekker Canters Dict. Eng. Villainies (9th edn).
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Ferme, A Hole.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn).
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Ferme, Hole, Cave, or hiding place.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ferme A Hole.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit (5 edn).
1714		A. Smith Lives of Most Noted Highway-men, etc. I 209: He taught his Pupil a deal of canting Words, telling him [...] Ferme, a Hole.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.