From Oxford English Dictionary I see one figurative definition of "shark" in the 1700s as pickpocket. That fits in with the word sham meaning to cheat etc.
shark, n.1
2.fig.
†b.spec. (See quots.) Obs.
1707 J. Stevens tr. F. G. de Quevedo y Villegas Comical Wks. (1709) 242 A meer Shark or Pick-pocket.
1788 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 2) at Shark, Sharks; the first order of pick-pockets. Bow-street term, a.d. 1785.
sham, v.
†1.
a.trans. To cheat, trick, deceive, delude with false pretences; to impose upon, take in, hoax. Obs.
Don
Donald L. Wilson, Virginiana Librarian
The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center
for Genealogy and Local History (RELIC)
Prince William Public Library System
Bull Run Regional Library
8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109-2892
703-792-4540
www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/library/RELIC
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Craig Kilby
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 3:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Tobacco Terminology
Keith,
This makes perfect sense when put in context with other of Joseph Balls comments in his letters. In this same letter, he also gives specific details on how he wants a fence built, and says his own overseers are "slubbering sons of bitches" and can't be counted on to build a fence around a certain pasture worth "a farthing when it is done." He also has the nerve to tell his manager, Joseph Chinn (and his nephew), that his (Chinn's) negroes are "lazy and saucy" and should not be allowed to cut wood on his plantation because they will just steal it. And he does not want his overseers growing any stock or flock of animal on his land, because they simply starve his own flock, and he does not want any neighbors pasturing their stock on his land for the same reason. Oh, he is quite detailed.
Joseph Ball was of course writing all these *dictat* from England and I wonder how much attention anybody paid to them.
Craig
On Apr 17, 2013, at 2:24 PM, Keith Kirkland wrote:
> These may not be tobacco specific terms but may be work related terms.
>
> "Shamming" is a term that is still used today, mostly by the military.
> It generally means to lay off effort in work or doing work the bare
> minimum of work that could be done more efficiently or more quickly
> (making a thirty minute job last two hours to prevent doing another
> job that might be more strenuous, for example).
>
> I can't offer any input on "shark".
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Craig Kilby <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> All,
>>
>> Here's a question I'm hoping one of our learned list members can answer.
>> Writing to his Virginia business manager Joseph Chinn in 1745, Joseph
>> Ball of Stratford on Bow nigh London, instructs Chinn to grow "right
>> sweet true Townsend" tobacco "clean, stemmed and laid straight" and
>> to take care that the overseers do not "shark nor sham" in making it.
>> (I don't know what "shark" and "sham" here mean either.) Later in the
>> letter he calls it "real true Townsend" and that says that he knows
>> how to make money from it, and that the overseers are to be paid for growing it in Aranoko tobacco.
>>
>> So, I find myself wondering word these words mean.
>>
>> Any thoughts or direction for further reading are greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Craig Kilby
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Keith Kirkland
>
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