Obs. Also 5 brager, bragger, 7 broger, broggar. [App. an unexplained corruption of BROKER. Anglo-French had also broggour beside brocour. Cf. also brogge, BROGUE sb.1] An agent; a jobber, esp. a corrupt jobber of offices; a BROKER.
[1386. Act 10 Rich. II., i. § 2. Officers & Ministres faitz par brogage & de lour broggors & de ceux qont prise le broggage.]
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., xvii. (1875), 153. No man … durst take an office … but he ffirst had þe good will off þe said bragers [MS. 1532 broggers; ed. 1714, broggars] and engrossers of offices.
1533–4. Act 25 Hen. VIII., i. Euery … grasier, fermour, breder, drouer, and brogger … whiche … shall haue any beoffes.
1550. Rem. Edw. VI., Jrnl. (Roxb.), 293. That no man shuld bie or sel the self-same thinges againe, except broggers.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1588/2. Broggers, and carriers of corne.
1641. Baker, Chron. (1679), 391/2. Broggers of Corn and Forestallers of Markets.
1682. Scarlett, Exchanges, 8. Brogers, &c. are Persons Sworn and Authorized by the Magistrate … to enquire of Persons that have any Monyes to remit or to draw, and to agree such Persons concerning the Conditions.
1720. Stow’s Surv. (1755), II. V. xv. 329/1. They were called Broggers in a Statute, 10 Richard II. … none to be Brocars in any Mystery, unless chosen by the same Mystery.
