Now dial. Also 4–7 traventer, 6–7 trauntor, trawnter, 9 traunter. [Tranter, traunter, trawnter known from 1500, app. syncopated from traventer (see quot. 1601), in med.(Anglo-)L. trāvetārius, of uncertain origin.
A derivation formally possible for med.L. trāvetārius, would be that it was a corruption of L. *tra(ns)vectārius, f. transvehĕre to transport, transvectio transportation.]
A word having various local uses: chiefly denoting a man who does jobs with his horse and cart; a carrier; a hawker or cadger with horse and cart; a huckster; also, one who buys up things to sell them elsewhere; † in 14–15th c. a tapster: see quots.
[1233. Pat. Roll 18 Hen. III., m. 17. Willelmus de Londonia trauetarius habet literas de conductu car[ucarum] suarum. [(in Calendar p. 32) Safe conduct until Easter for William de London, the tranter, for his carts.] Ibid. Willelmus de Norhamptona trauetarius Regis habet literas de saluo conductu.
1282. Welsh Roll, No. 3. m. 2 d. (P. R. O.). Accepimus quod trauetarii et alii victualia et alia nobis et fidelibus nostris … in partibus Wallie necessaria ducentes.
1350. Letter-Bk. F. Lond., lf. 181 b. Item q’ les garsouns des seriauntz … cariage ne pregnont pluis des charettes ne de chivaux q’ meister ne soit, et ceo de trauenters et chivaux q’ sount allowers. [By Riley, Memorials London (1868), 256 explained as ‘Persons who let out carts on hire.’]
a. 1400. Litt. Red Bk. Bristol (1900), II. 37. Diuerses trauenters de ceruoise. [Ibid., 38. Mettre a vendre ceruoys en trauentrie.]]
1500. Gloucester Rec., in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. IV. 433. That alle maner of traunters and tapsters sel of the best ale a galon for 1 d qar.
1562. in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1883), I. 79. No … trauntors shall buy any corn until the town be served.
1601. F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 51 (1876), 35. When he goeth … to make purveiance for poultry, he shal have with him the trauenters, which must be in the same office or some of them; these trauntors names shalbe entred in the warderobe.
1642. Declar. Lords & Comm., 31 Dec., 3. The robbing of the common Carriers and Trawnters.
1681. Blount, Glossogr., Tranters … are those that bring fish from the Sea-side in Wales to the Midland. Elsewhere call’d Ripiers.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Tranter, the same as Crocker.
1744–50. W. Ellis, Mod. Husbandm., IV. II. 103 (E.D.S.). The word traunter I take to mean, strictly, any person that buys wheat in sacks to sell again in sacks.
1801. Mason, Suppl. Johnson, Tranters … Country people, amongst whom alone this word is current, extend its meaning to all those who purchase any kind of provisions in order to sell them again.
c. 1880. Bedford Dialect. Mr. So-and-So the corn traunter bought 1500 quarters of wheat yesterday.
1891. T. Hardy, Tess, xvii. One of the family that used to do a good deal of business as tranters over there.
1899. C. K. Paul, Mem., 60. He had become a ‘tranter,’ doing odd jobs, haulage of manure, and the like.
1906. Sir F. Treves, Highways & Byways Dorset, Pref. 8. In this Sleepy Hollow they will find the untroubled life of the past,… will meet the tranter on the leisurely road.
Hence † Trantery (in 4 trauentrie, 6 trawntrey), Obs. or ? dial., the occupation of a tranter; retailing of ale, etc.: see also quot. 1670.
1330. Kenfig Ord., in Gross, Gild Merch. (1890), II. 133 [from a 16–17th-c. copy]. Noe manner of person shall … cutt carne or trawntrey or ostrey hold, unless he be a burgess.
a. 1400. Trauentrie [see above].
1670. Blount, Law Dict. Trantery, So in some Mannors they call the Money arising by Amercements of Alesellers and Victuallers, for breaking the Assise of Bread and Ale, as at Luston, and other Mannors in Herefordshire…. But why so called Quære.
1706. in Phillips (ed. Kersey).
