STROWLING-Morts,
who, pretending to be Widows, often travel the Countries, making Laces upon Yews, Beggar's-tape, &c. Are light-finger'd, subtle, hypocritical, cruel, and often dangerous to meet, especially when a Ruffler is with them.
The Vulgar Tongue originally collected by Grose, 1811.
Also see examples in Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes collected by John S. Farmer (1896).