Obs. [f. BLANKET + -EER.]
a. One who uses a blanket. One who tosses in a blanket. b. plur. A body of operatives who met at the so-called Blanket Meeting in St. Peter’s Fields near Manchester, on 10th March 1817, provided with blankets or rugs, in order to march to London and press their grievances upon the attention of the Government. Hence Blanketeering vbl. sb.
1755. Smollett, Quix. (1803), I. 156. God grant there may be neither blankets nor blanketeers.
1822. Cobbett, Rural Rides (1885), I. 222. These base landlords laughed … at the blanketeers.
1830. Moriarty, Husband Hunter, III. 230. On returning from her blanketeering adventure.
1833. Southey, in Life & Corr., VI. 203. The projected expedition of the Blanketeers.
