dragsman

1. (historical) A driver of a carriage, coach, or drag, for public transport, private hire, or as a household servant; coachman.Examples: "Some years since, on a journey into Kent, and sitting on the box beside the dragsman, I was surprised to see him turn out of a fine piece of road which had the most moderate, and, in my idea, most insignificant slope, in order to whip his horses over a deep and fresh laid piece of gravel."; "The man was of the old school and held a very poor opinion, so her papa said, of the new flashman types—men like Gunnet, who despite his coarse features was one of Mr Cameron's most elegant dragsmen."; "To Susan, who had never travelled by road in anything but a stage-coach driven by a dragsman in a beaver hat and a coat with three little capes, the journey was like a fantastic dream, for along the rough tracks which led through the open veldt and up the steep hills trundled ninety-one ox-waggons."historical

2. (obsolete) One who races horses; an amateur jockey.Examples: "Even those who make the best use of our system of education, and whose accomplishments at quitting college are not confined to being a capital rower and a " prime dragsman," learn very little or nothing that is of use to them in after life ;"; "He could make as good a book as most men, throw a main, and play a fair game of whist ; was a very pretty dragsman, and could fight a few."; "For the rest, most are men of wit and pleasure, given to gallantry and joking; in the former, their success is notorious; the "bonnes fortunes" of a swell dragsman would shame many a roué in fashionable life."obsolete

3. (historical) A thief who cuts the luggage from carriages.Examples: "In consequence of the great improvement in the make of travelling carriages, there are now few opportunities for the dragsman to exercise his calling in cutting off trunks fastened behind those vehicles, so that the thieves who have a preference for this mode of plunder, are now constrained to prowl about the streets, following the numerous carts which are daily employed in the delivering of goods in this large city and who may be termed "cart sneaks.""; "he had a word for the hostler about that “gray mare,” a nod for the “shooter” or guard, and a bow for the dragsman;"; "If one of them dragsmen saw my growler stopping' on the road he'll 'ave his shiv to our throats before you can say Jack Horner.'"historical