Mining. Also 7–9 stowe, 9 stoe. [App. a sing. form evolved from STOWCE (to which the first quot. may belong).]
† 1. = STOWCE. Obs.
1550[?]. in Pettus, Fodinæ Reg. (1670), 93. And if any Gentleman or other man have any Ground lying in the Mine called The Kings Field of the Mine, they shall keep them lawfully with Stows and Timber.
1653. Manlove, Lead-Mines, 5 (E.D.S.). They may make crosses, holes, and set their Stowes, Sink Shafts, build Lodges, Cottages, or Coes.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Derby. (1662), 229. He that stealeth Oar twice, is fined, and the third time struck through his hand with a Knife unto the haft into the Stow, and is there to stand until death, or loose himself by cutting off his hand.
1681. T. Houghton, Rara Avis in Terra, Gloss. (E.D.S.), Stows, seven pieces of wood … fastened with pins of wood together; two are called soul-trees; two, stow-blades; two, hang-benches; and a spindle: these stows give a miner, or any person that owns them, as good right to a meer or meers of ground (so that every meer have a pair of stows set on them) as a deed of conveyance doth to any purchaser.
1836. R. Furness, Astrol., I. Poet. Wks. (1858), 133. Then would he dress a helm,… Make stows, and keep the heavy hours alive.
† 2. A nick in the ‘stow-blade.’ Obs.
1851. Tapping, Manlove’s Customs Lead Mines, Gloss. 33/1. They have a nick in the top like an arrow’s head, called a stow.
3. Comb. stow-fork = STOW-BLADE.
1824. Mander, Derbysh. Miner’s Gloss., 68. In the Wapentake of Wirksworth they [the Stoces] contain seven pieces of wood, viz. two Sole-trees, two Hang Benches, two Stoe-forks, and one Spindle.
