affidavit man n.
a professional witness who, with pay, will swear to anything.
Declar. Ambassador to Emperor of Russia [broadside]The foule exactions, extorsions, and base vsages towards prisoners, by [...] worthy instruments, seruants, and Affidavit men. | ||
The Horrid Sin of Man-Catching 7: It is a difficult thing to prove a Rogue perjur’d; and an Affidavit-man. | ||
Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Affidavit men, Knights of the Post, Mercenary Sweaters for Hire, Inhabitants (formerly) of White Friers, now dispersed. | ||
London Spy V 119: They will out-Wheedle a Gipsie, out-Swear a Common Gamester, out-lie an Affidavit Man, and out-Cozen a Tally-Man. | ||
Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 201: Affidavit-men, knights of the post, mercenary swearers for hire, inhabitants formerly of Whitefriars, now dispersed. | ||
New Canting Dict. | ||
Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: affidavit men, Knights of the Post; mercenary and abandoned Wretches, who used to frequent the Temple and other Inns of Court, in order to be in Readiness to swear anything that was proposed to them. | ||
Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. | ||
Sporting Mag. Sept. X 312/1: Common Bail, Affidavit Men, Ruffians, Bravoes, Assassins, multus cum aliis. | ||
Lex. Balatronicum. | ||
Manchester Courier 29 June 2/3: That’s the affydavy man [...] he’s the clerk of the swag, a knowing cove who looks out for the flats. | ||
Londres et les Anglais 312/1: affidavit men, mercenaires qui sont prets a jurer n’importe quoi, devant n’importe quel tribunal; faux témoins. |