A petty bailiff who makes arrests, especially of debtors.
"The very offscum of the rascal multitude,
as Decoys, bum-bayliffes, disgraced Pursevants,
and a rabble of such stinkardly companions."
Geffray Mynshul, Essayes and characters of a prison and prisoners (1618).
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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