Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) the stocks.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 86: So may we happen on the Harmanes and cly the Jarke or to the quyerken [...] So we may chance to set in the stockes eyther be whypped eyther had to prison house.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching n.p.: [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Belman’s Second Nights Walk B2: He cuts, bing to the Ruffmans, Or else he swears by the Light-mans, To put our stampes in the Harmans.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 39: Harmons the stockes.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: O I wud lib all the lightmans,/ O I wud lib all the darkmans, / By the salomon, under the ruffmans, By the salomon, in the hartmans.
1637		Dekker Canters Dict. Eng. Villainies (8th edn) .
1648		Dekker Canters Dict. Eng. Villainies (9th edn).
c.1661		A Beggar I’ll Be in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 36: And if from the Harmans I keep out my Feet, / I fear not the Compter, King’s Bench, nor the Fleet.
1674		‘The Beggars Curse’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 14: [as cit. 1608].
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Harmans, the Stocks.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Harmans the Stocks.
1703		Hell Upon Earth 5: Harmin, Stocks.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 19: Stocks – Harmans.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.