Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) a wheeled vehicle, esp. a cart.

1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit (5 edn) 194: The Prancer drew the Quere Cove at the cropping of the Rottom. The Rogue was Dragged at the Cart’s Arse.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: As the prancer drew the queer cove, at the cropping of the rotan, the rum pads of the Rumvile, and was flogged by the rum-cove, i.e., the rogue was dragged at the cart’s tail through the chief streets of London and was soundly whipped by the hangman.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: rotan a Coach, or any thing that runs upon Wheels; but principally a Cart.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. [as cit. 1707].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant n.p.: The Prancer drew the Quere Cove at the cropping of the Rottam through the Rum pads of the Rum-vill, and was flogg’d by the Nubbing-cove. [The Rogue was dragged at the Cart’s Arse through the chief Streets of London, and whipp’d by the Hangman].
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 150: Rotan — a carriage of any sort, originally meaning the cart only. Hence — ‘Rotan-row,’ the ride in Hyde-park, now mis-spelt Rotten-row.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.