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henchman|ˈhɛnʃmən|
Pl. -men. Forms: α. 4 (hengestmannus), henxst-, 4–5 henxt-, 4–7 henx-, hensman, 5 henxe-, heyns-, heynce-, 5–6 hense-, 6 hence-, henxceman. β. 5–6 henche-, 6 hensh(e-, 6–7, 9 henchman. γ. 5 hansemane, (pl.) anschamen, 6 hauns-, hansh-, haunch-, 8 hanchman.
[A compound of the word which appears in OE. as hengest, hengst (in Layamon hængest: see hengest), OHG. hengist, MHG. hengest, Ger. hengst, OFris. hengst, MLG. hengest, hingest, hinxt, MDu. henxt, heynst, henst, LG. and mod.Fris. hingst, Du. hengst ‘male horse’ (at different periods, and in the various langs. = ‘stallion’, ‘gelding’, and ‘horse’ generally) + man; but it is not clear how or whence the compound made its appearance in the 14th c.
The latinized hengestmannus in 1360, suggests immediate formation from OE. hengest; but there is the difficulty that no trace of the latter appears after c 1205 (exc. as an element of proper names, where OE. Hengestes became Hinx-, Hinks-, Hinckes- in accordance with the normal phonetic change of OE. eng to later ing). On the other hand though hengest was also MLG., and henxt, heynst, henst the MDu. forms, and Hans Wynsele in quot. 1377 was evidently of ‘Dutch’ or German nativity, no example of the compound hengestman, or henxtman, is found in these languages. (Mod.G. hengstmann, ‘groom of a stallion’, is recent and technical.) As to the original sense, the Promp. Parv. renders heyncemann by med.L. gerolocista; a contemporary L.-E. glossary, Wr.-Wülcker 586/21, has ‘gerolotista, sompturman’ (cf. also 582/11 ‘Falerarius, a sompterhors; falerator, a sompterman’). Gerolocista (in Du Cange also gerulasista) was app. a deriv. of L. gerulus ‘carrier, porter’, also ‘sumpter-horse’: cf. Promp. Parv., ‘Male horse [OF. male, F. malle trunk], gerulus, somarius’; ‘somer hors, gerulus, somarius, summarius.’ These equivalents seem to point to the sense ‘attendant on a sumpter-horse’; perh. the original meaning was simply ‘attendant on a horse’, ‘groom’, which might rise to be an honourable title, as in the current ‘Groom-in-waiting’, ‘Groom-of-the-chamber’: cf. also the history of marshal, originally ‘horse-servant’, ‘groom’. The ‘hengestmanni, Mustard and Garleke’, of 1360, the ‘harlottez and hansemene’ in Morte Arthur, and the ‘henxmen and lackies’ of P. Holland (1 b), were apparently of the rank of ordinary grooms; but in connexion with the English court, the word came to connote a position of honour, and the royal henchmen of the 15–16th c. were usually young men of rank. In its historical sense, the word appears to have become obs. by 1650 (see sense 1); for the modern use see sense 2. (See the discussion of this word in N. & Q. 7th s. II, III, 8th s. III, etc.; also Skeat, Student's Pastime, several articles.)]
1. a. ? A groom. b. A squire, or page of honour to a prince or great man, who walked or rode beside him in processions, progresses, marches, etc.; also, one who, on occasion, fulfilled the same office to a queen or princess. In later 16th c. use, app. = hench-boy. Obs. (exc. Hist.) since 17th c.
Henry, Earl of Derby, afterwards Henry IV, had in his retinue, in his Expedition to Prussia and Palestine 1392–3, ‘two henxmen’, to whom there are many references in the Accounts (edited by Miss L. Toulmin Smith for Camd. Soc.), cited in quot. 1392. In 1402, two ‘henxtmen’ accompanied Henry's daughter Blaunche from Cologne to the parts of Almaine, whither she went as a bride. From the 14th cent., henxmen or henchmen formed part of the regular household or suite of English kings and queens, their number rising from three under Henry VI to seven under Edward IV and Richard III, under the command of the Master of the Horse. At the coronation of Richard III in 1483, his queen had also five henchmen riding on ‘womens sadelles’. In 15–16th c. nobles and knights also had their henchmen, usually three. The royal henchmen or ‘chyldren of honor’ were abolished by Queen Elizabeth in 1565 (see quot.); and the word, though still frequent in transferred and analogical uses c 1600, app. became obs. in English use by 1650. (Cf. also hench-boy, which continued in practical use to c 1675.)
1360Issue Roll 224 (34 Ed. III Easter) Memb. 20 Mustardo Garlek' et duobus sociis suis hengestmannis domini Regis..cuilibet eorum, vj. s. viij. d. per breve de privato sigillo. 1377–80Roll of Liveries by Wardr. Keeper, 1–3 Rich. II, memb. 23 (Accts. Excheq. Q. R., Bundle 400 No. 4) Hans Wynsele, henxstman domini regis pro vestura et apparat' suis. 1392Earl Derby's Expedition (Camden) 163 Diuersis hominibus pro tribus equis ab ipsis conductis pro equitacione domini et ij henksmen apud Dansk. Ibid. 280 Pro panno..empto ibidem pro ij henksmen..Item pro factura ij gounarum pro dictis hensmen. a1400Morte Arth. (Thornton MS. c 1425) 2662 Tak heede to þis hansemane, þat he no horne blawe. Ibid. 2743 Þat es fully to fewe to feghte with theme alle, ffore harlottez and hansemene salle helpe bott littille. 1402Roll of Expenses for P'cess Blaunche (Q.R., Bundle 404 No. 11) Alberto Blike et Petro Stake, henxtmen domine euntibus cum domina de Colonia versus partes Alman'. c1440Promp. Parv. 233/2 Heyncemann (H. henchemanne), gerolocista, duorum generum. c1450Holland Howlat 648 Robyn Redbrest nocht ran, Bot raid as a hensman. 1463Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 234 Payd ffor..iij. bowys for the heynsmen of my lorddys of Norfolke, ij. s. 1463–4Rolls Parlt. V. 505/2 Provided also, that Hensh⁓men, Herawdes, Purcyvauntes, Swerdeberers to Mayers, Messyngers and Mynstrelles..be not comprised in this Acte [regulating apparel]. 1480Wardr. Acc. Edw. IV (1830) 167 John Cheyne Squier for the Body of oure said Souverain Lorde the King and Maister of his Henxmen for th' apparaile of the saide Maister and vij of the Kinges Henxemen ayenst the feste of Midsomer. 1481–90Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.) 431 Item, for makyng of ij. gownes of tawney for the said anschamen, price ij. s. viij. d. 1483Wardr. Accts. Coronation Rich. III (Grose Antiq. Repertory 1779, II. 254) To vij of our sayde Souverain Lorde the Kyngs henxemen, that is to wit, The Lorde Morley, Thomas Dane [etc.] for theire apparail agenst the day of the grete solempnitee..viij doubletts. Ibid. 258 To v henxemen of our saide Souverain Lady the Quene, ryding in the said v womens sadelles covered in crymysyn cloth of gold. 1488Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. in Pitcairn Crim. Trials I. 114* For liverayis to viij Hensemen of þe Kingis. a1500Flower & Leaf xxxvi, And every Knight had after him ridinge Three henchemen on him awaitinge. 1530Palsgr. 230/2 Henchman. paige dhonnevr, emfant dhonnevr. 1538Leland Itin. IV. 17 Turwith now being yn the Courte a late a haunchman hath maried the Heir Generale of the Eldest House of the Oxenbridges. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Mark xi. lf. 180 The solemne pompe, passing the pompe of any worldly prince, of such as go before the Bishop, of his hensemen, of Trumpettes of sundry tunes [etc.]. 1548Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 190 b, So nere pursued, that certain of his henxmen or folowers wer taken [1568 Grafton Henchmen and folowers]. Ibid., Hen. VIII, 9 The chyldren of honor called the Henchemen, whiche were freshely disguised, and daunced a morice before the king. 1555Eden Decades 256 Clement Adams scole mayster to the Queens henshemen. 1565F. Alen Let. to Earl Shrewsbury 11 Dec. in Lodge Illustr. Hist. (1791) I. 358 Her highnes hath of late, whereat some doo moche marvel, dissolved the auncient office of the henchemen. 1578in Nichols Progr. Q. Eliz. (1823) II. 138 There attended upon him three henchmen in white and greene. 1587Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1949/2 Behind him rode sir John Dudleie maister of hir horsses, leading hir spare horsse trapped in rich tissue downe to the ground; after them followed henx⁓men and pages of honor. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 121, I do but beg a little changeling boy, To be my Henchman. 1601? Marston Pasquil & Kath. i. 337 Profound toung'd Master Puffe, hee that hath a perpetuitie of complement, hee whose phrases are as neatly deckt as my Lord Maiors hens⁓men. 1607Cowell Interpr., Henchman or Heinsman, is a German word..It is vsed with vs for one that runneth on foote attending vpon a man of honour or worship. [So in Blount 1656.] 1616J. Bullokar Eng. Expos., Henchman, a page of honour, neere attendant to a Prince, or other great personage. a1618Raleigh Rem. (1644) 17 Nobles to attend the Court; which was well imitated by our Train of Hench⁓men, if they were of the Nobler sort.
c. transf. (Rendering L. minister, agaso, accensus, armiger, ministrator.)
1600Holland Livy xliii. v. 1159 To send presents..two bard horses with their henxmen and lackies [agasonibus]. 1601― Pliny II. 540 Prince Clytus..hasting to a battell, calling vnto his squire or henxman for his helmet. 1606― Sueton. 238 He served Caius as his henxman at a chariot running.
d. fig.
1594J. Dickenson Arisbas (1878) 34 Rough Boreas winters Hench-man..scourged the plaines with a troupe of tempests. a1592Greene Orpharion, Orpheus' Song Wks. (Rtldg.) 316/2 Of Hesper, henchman to the day and night.
2. The personal attendant, ‘right-hand man’, or chief gillie of a Highland chief; hence, generally, a trusty follower or attendant who stands by the side of his chief or leader, and supports him in every case of need.
This sense begins app. with Burt, who spells hanchman, and explains it as derived from hanch, i.e. haunch; hence Scott (who edited Burt) has hanchman in Waverley, but elsewhere, in the same sense, uses henchman, thus identifying Burt's and his own ‘hanchman’ with the obsolete Eng. ‘henchman’; the rest of the world has taken the word from Scott. It does not appear whence or how Burt got the word: there is no term corresponding to ‘haunch-man’ in Gaelic (Burt himself, a few sentences on, calls the same individual simply gilly), and it is uncertain whether he himself invented the term, or really found the obs. Eng. henchman retained in a modified sense in some part of the Highlands. In any case, association between henchman and haunchman was very natural; haunch in Scotch is pronounced hainch, hench (see haunch n.1, v.3), ‘haunchman’, if it existed, would be pronounced hainchman or henchman, and the Eng. ‘henchman’, if in any way known, would be there naturally taken as = ‘man at the hench or haunch’.
c1730Burt Lett. N. Scotl. (1754) II. xxi. 157 The Foster-brother, having the same Education as the young Chief, may besides that..become his Hanchman..This Officer is a Sort of Secretary, and is to be ready upon all Occasions, to venture his Life in Defence of his Master; and at Drinking-bouts he stands behind his Seat, at his Haunch, from whence his Title is derived, and watches the Conversation. Ibid., A Youth who was Hanchman, not understanding one Word of English, imagin'd his Chief was insulted, and thereupon drew his Pistol..and snap'd it at the Officer's Head. 1814Scott Wav. xvi, He counted upon his fingers the several officers of his chief's retinue—‘there is his hanchman or right-hand man; then his bàrdh or poet; then his bladier or orator,..then his gilly-more or armour-bearer..then his gilly-casfluich [etc.].’
1810Scott Lady of L. ii. xxxv, ‘Malise, what ho!’—his henchman came. 1823Byron Juan xi. xiii, And roar'd out..Unto his nearest follower or henchman. 1831Scott Cast. Dang. ii, I have been his henchman, and can vouch for it. 1835Lytton Rienzi ii. i, A page, who..was the especial henchman of the Lord of the Castle. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. xiii. III. 335 The henchman was an excellent orderly: the hereditary piper and his sons formed the band: and the clan became at once a regiment. 1865Cornh. Mag. July 119 One Jacobus Battus, a faithful brother-scholar, and henchman. 1883S. C. Hall Retrospect II. 272 He could still make a good cast over the river..and aided by his henchman land a salmon.
fig.1811Scott Fam. Lett. 14 Aug. (1894) I. 227, I have the Tweed for my henchman for about a mile.
b. A stout political supporter or partisan; esp. in U.S. ‘A mercenary adherent; a venal follower; one who holds himself at the bidding of another’ (Cent. Dict.).
1839Morn. Herald 2 Sept. in Spirit Metrop. Conserv. Press (1840) II. 446 Such Liberals as Lord John Russell, and his henchman, Mr. Hawes. 1867Goldw. Smith Three Eng. Statesmen (1882) 196 Horsley, the leading political bishop of the day, and a sort of ecclesiastical henchman of Pitt. 1875N. Amer. Rev. CXX. 127 A henchman of his, who had a place on the police force, being arraigned before the Commissioners. 1880St. James' Gaz. 11 Oct., The excuses made for him by the scribes who are his henchmen. 1884Sat. Rev. 14 June 768/2 It is contended by the Government henchmen that there is..a strong Romanist and Nationalist..party in Ulster. 1891Boston (Mass.) Jrnl. 28 Nov. 2/3 These charges are the result of a conspiracy among Hill's henchmen in Syracuse. |