Footman

[f. FOOT sb. + MAN.]

  1.  One who goes on foot, a pedestrian. Also with adj., a (good, swift, etc.) walker or runner. Now somewhat rare exc. dial.

1382.  Wyclif, Numb. xi. 21. And Moyses seith to the Lord, Six hundryd thousandes of foot men ben of this puple.

1475.  Presentm. Juries, in Surtees Misc. (1890), 27. The fotman’s cawse be for William Chawe dore is defectyffe.

1563.  Arp. Sandys, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxxv. 396. For three Women going through his Park, wherein is a Path for Footmen, he supposing they had been Priests Wives, called unto them, Ye shall not come through my Park, and no such Priests Whores.

1623.  Cockeram, II. A swift Foot-man, celeripedian.

1650.  Fuller, A Pisgah-sight of Palestine, I. xiii. 41. Fear makes good foot-men.

a. 1744.  William Byrd, in M. C. Tyler, Amer. Lit. (1879), II. 276–7. He becomes a great enthusiast over the virtues of the plant, ginseng: “Though practice will soon make a man of tolerable vigor an able footman, yet, as a help to bear fatigue, I used to chew a root of ginseng as I walked along. This kept up my spirits, and made me trip away as nimbly in my half jack-boots as younger men could in their shoes.”

1769.  De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit., I. 153. At such Times the Ferry-keeper will demand Sixpence of every Horseman, and Twopence of every Footman; and in these Cases the Land-occupiers pay as well as Strangers.

1816.  Keatinge, Trav. (1817), II. 28–9. A foot-man is nearly lost in this forest of annuals, which choke all wholesome vegetation.

1882.  W. Worcestersh. Gloss., Footman. A good walker is termed ‘a good footman.’

1890.  O. Belknap, in Shields, Big Game N. Amer., 298. A Buffalo appeared, clambering up the face of the other wall of the ravine, at a point which we afterward found taxed the climbing powers of a footman.

1890.  Boldrewood, Squatter’s Dream, xxiii. 277. Jack, ‘ragged and tanned,’ half-starved, and a ‘footman’ (as a person not in possession of a horse is termed in Australian provincial circles), was not for the moment regarded with special favour by the landlord of the Royal Pioneer.

  † b.  One who competes in a foot-race. Obs.

1654.  Webster, Appius & Virg., I. i.

1685.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2062, 2/2. There will be a Plate Run for by Footmen at Wigan.

  † c.  A foot-pad. Obs.

1615.  J. Stephens, Ess. & Charac., Warrener (1857), 201. If he doth not play the valiant Foot-man, and take tribute of passengers.

1666.  Pepys, Diary (1879), VI. 84. Being wounded in nine places last night, by footmen, in the highway.

  2.  A foot-soldier.

1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 199. Wyþoute archers & vot men, wyþ tuo þousend hors y wrye.

13[?].  Coer de L., 5105.

c. 1450.  Merlin, 113. [Thei] … were well viij^Ml knyghtes, with-outen seriantis and arblastis, and fotemen grete plente.

1598.  Barret, Theor. Warres, III. i. 40. Those battels of square of ground, or battels of double fronts, do bring many hands to fight at once: being verie aduantagious for footmen against footmen.

1630.  trans. Camden’s Hist. Eliz., I. 105. By sudden mischance of fire the Garrison Towne was burnt, with the victuals and powder, which blew up many of his men: for then he put his footmen aboord the small vessels he had.

1798.  Craig, in Owen, Wellesley’s Desp., 601. The Rajah of Patiala is represented to be a powerful prince, commanding at all times a force of 10,000 horse, and as many footmen.

1864.  Kingsley, Rom. & Teut., iii. (1875), 72. The knights turned on the infantry, broke them, hunted them down by charge after charge, and left the foot-men to finish the work.

1896.  Times, 22 April, 7/3. They were suddenly attacked by a body of 200 horsemen, supported by a large body of footmen.

  † 3.  An attendant or foot-servant. In early use, a runner in attendance upon a rider of rank; and, later, a servant who ran before his master’s carriage, called more fully a running-footman. Obs.

c. 1450.  Bk. Curtasye, 621, in Babees Bk. (1868), 320.

1552.  Huloet, Fotemen for princes, or noble persons, circumpedes.

1612.  W. Parkes, Curtaine-Dr. (1876), 27. He needs must ride, That had my Foot-man lackying by his side.

1718.  Prior, Alma, I. 58.

1791.  Bee, 13 July, IV. 11. Coaches [c. 1760] were the only carriages that were then kept by gentleman, which were usually drawn by six horses. These were generally accompanied by running footmen, who were easily able to keep pace with the horses, and whose assistance was often wanted to support the coach on each side, to prevent it from being overturned, on the very few roads where they could be carried at all.

1818.  Scott, Br. Lamm., xxii. Two running footmen, dressed in white, with black jockey-caps, and long staffs in their hands, headed the train; and such was their agility, that they found no difficulty in keeping the necessary advance, which the etiquette of their station required, before the carriage and horsemen.

1856.  N. & Q., Ser. II. I. 80/1. On the opening of one of the assize courts in the North of England (Carlisle, I believe,) the sheriff and judges were preceded by two running footmen.

  4.  A man-servant in livery employed chiefly to attend the carriage and wait at table.

1706–7.  Farquhar, Beaux’ Stratagem, I. i. There’s neither Red-Coat in the Coach, nor Footman behind it.

1756–7.  trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), IV. 469. One inconveniency attending such small appointments was, that the officers could not live suitably to their posts; and some gentlemen of the bed-chamber were not able even to keep a footman.

1784.  Cowper, Tiroc., 406.

1848.  Dickens, Dombey, vii. The Princess’s Arms was also there, and much resorted to by splendid footmen.

1878.  M. A. Brown, Nadeschda, 23.

  b.  fig. (Cf. lackey.)

1834.  Macaulay, Pitt (1851), 45. After exclaiming with great bitterness, and with some justice, against the Whigs, who ought, he said, to be ashamed to talk about liberty, while they submitted to be the footmen of the Duke of Newcastle, his Majesty submitted.

  5.  A stand to support a kettle, etc., before the fire.

1767.  Specif. Brodie & Williams, Patent, No. 880, 3. A rest or footman to put the tea-kettle on.

1844.  Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xx. From flat-iron, dish-cover, and warming-pan; from pot and kettle, face of brass footman, and black-leaded stove; bright glances of approbation wink and glow upon her.

  6.  A moth of the family Lithosiidæ.

1819.  G. Samouelle, Entomol. Compend., 249. Lithosia quadra (four-spotted footman).

1870.  Eng. Mech., 21 Jan., 449/2. The scarce footman (Lithosia caniola) has not long been known as a British insect.

  7.  appositively and Comb., as † footman archer; footman-like adj.; † footman’s inn, gaol.

1598.  Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., XIII. ix. (1622), 192. In the wings went the *footmen archers with the residue of the horsemen.

1604.  Penniles Parl. Threed-bare Poets, in Harl. Misc. (1744), I. 179. Those that depend on Destiny, and not on God, may chance look through a narrow Lattice at *Footmen’s Inn.

1613.  S. Rowlands, Knaue of Harts, A theeuing Knaue.

1864.  Realm, 23 March, 4. The Globe, whose *footmanlike servility to the Ministry is notorious.

  Hence Footmanhood, footmen collectively. Footmanry, the occupation of a footman.

1822.  Galt, Sir A. Wylie, I. xxiii. 208. You can have no conception how much we were plagued by the sons of the patriarchal fixtures of Chastington-hall, coming here to learn the craft and mystery of footmanry.

1862.  H. Aïdé, Carr of Carrlyon, III. 136. Gilda was unfeignedly glad, then, to exchange the chilling visits of ceremony, the eight o’clock dinners, and the powdered footmanhood of London, for the more unsophisticated life to which she had been accustomed.