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| A Wild Man by Hans Holbein the Younger c. 1525–28 |
"'A Plymouth Cloak'
That is, a cane or staff; wherefore this is the occasion. Many a man of good extraction, coming home from far voyages, may chance to land here, and, being out of sorts, is unable for the present time and place to recruit himself with clothes. Here (if not friendly provided) they make the next wood their Draper's shop where a staff cut out serves them for a covering. For we use when we walk in cuerpo to carry a ftaff in our hands, but none when in a cloak."
Ray 1768
Map - Plymouth
[This makes very little sense to me - anyone got any idea what it means? Is it simply that if you find yourself naked(!) you need a good stout club to make sure nobody ridicules you too much? I can only imagine the sailors in Plymouth found themselves in this position after being taken advantage of by the female thieves often sung about in tradional ballad warnings...]
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