1. A liveried retainer or servant. ? Obs.
1693. Lond. Gaz., No. 2877/1. After them Sir William’s own Livery-men, to the number of 12, all with their Hats off.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), III. 340. Some inferiour officer or livery-man of the train.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., vii. Officers of the Earl’s household, liverymen, and retainers, went and came.
b. (See quot.) ? Obs.
1743. Zollman, in Phil. Trans., XLII. 458. Those [Caterpillars] to which Gardeners have given the Name of Liverymen, by reason of the Distribution of their Colours.
2. A freeman of the City of London who is entitled to wear the ‘livery’ of the company to which he belongs, and to exercise other privileges.
1682. Enq. Elect. Sheriffs, 21. In the Case of my Lord Mayors imposing a Sheriff upon the City, without the concurrence of the Livery-men.
c. 1710. C. Fiennes, Diary (1888), 241. All freemen or Liverymen of this city hath a Right to Choose their sherriffs.
1773. Gentl. Mag., XLIII. 149. The lord mayor, at the request of a numerous body of liverymen, having summoned a common-hall.
1861. Evening Star, 4 Oct. He is a Liveryman—and a member of one of the twelve great companies.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xx. 416. The franchise was formally transferred to the liverymen of the companies.
3. A keeper of or attendant at a livery-stable.
1841. Lytton, Nt. & Morn. (1851), 103. Come off, clumsy! you can’t manage that ‘ere fine animal,’ cried the livery man.
1853. G. J. Cayley, Las Alforjas, I. 135. We had a slight altercation with the livery-man,… who wished to charge us for more days than our ponies had been in pupilage.
