footpage

plural footpages

1. A young man who is employed to run errands; errand boy.

   He turned, therefore, to his little footpage. ' Go swiftly,' quoth he, ' and bring me my golden harp.'

   1871, Julia Goddard, Wonderful Stories from Northern Lands, page 115

   4 more examples

   After Lord Burnet was gone to the Chace, Musgroves and Lady Burnet went to bed together, which the little Footpage made an excuse to go to the Lady's room; and, seeing them in bed together, said, that Lord Burnet should know it before any sleep had closed his eyes.

   1801, Joanna Southcott, Collected Tracts - Volume 5, page 90

   And the hill-king spake to his footpages twain. Time with me goes slow. — "Put ye the gray pacers now unto the wain," But that grief is heavy I know.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 175

   A' this beheard a little footpage, Fast hid ahind a tree; An' he's awa' to seek his laird, Sae fast as he can hie.

   1923, H. P. Lovecraft, The Conservative

   All this was heard by a little footpage, By his lady's coach as he ran, Says he, I am my lady's footpage, I will be Lord Arnol's man.

   1997, Jean Ritchie, Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians as Sung by Jean Ritchie, →ISBN