Green’s Dictionary of Slang

charlie prescott n.

a waistcoat.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1880		D.W. Barrett Life and Work among Navvies 43: ‘Charley Prescott’ is simply another name for a waistcoat.
1891		J. Bent Criminal Life 272: Charley Prescott ... Waistcoat.
1894		Pall Mall Gaz. 4 July 3/2: Who was ‘Charlie Prescott,’ whose name is immortalized as a synonym for ‘waistcoat‘’.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 201/1: Prescot [sic] (Rhyming). Waistcoat. ‘Spot his blooming prescot.’ [Ibid.] 205/2: A man in the country wants to sell his old kicksies, Charley Prescotts and coats, and seeing the advertisements in the respectable daily rags, he sends them all up to the buyer, and gets five bob in return, which, he is told, is all they’re worth.
1927		Hartlepool Northern Dly Mail 28 Jan. 5/5: I have also learned [...] that ‘The Duke of Kent’ means rent [...] ‘Charley Prescott’ waistcoat, ‘Woolwich Piers’ ears [...] that a policeman is known as a ‘grass’ — short for grasshopper which rhymes with ‘copper’.
1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 6: Jimmy Prescott: Waistcoat.
1937		L. Lane Me and My Girl I iii: Gimme my Charlie Prescot – that’s my waistcoat – and now my I’m afloat.
1944		Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3.
1949		Western Dly Press 12 Jan. 2/3: Other popular rhyming slang terms are [...] ‘Charlie Prescott’ (waistcoat).
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog 20: ’E must be in the bees ’n’ honey cos ’es got [...] a new whistle ’n’ flute wiv a Peckham Rye to go wiv it an’ a fancy new Jim Prescott.
1972		Dodson & Saczek Dict. of Cockney Rhy. Sl. 23: Billy Prescot.
2002		B. Kirkpatrick Wicked Cockney Rhy. Sl.