jack
.
Searchable Lemmata: jakke (AF), jakke (ME), jakkum (L), seca (Ir), jack (MdE).
Alternate Forms: jak, jake, jacke, jakks.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1a(n.)
Garment;
jacket or tunic, stuffed and quilted made of leather or cloth. Worn over, or instead of, armour. Could be plated with iron or applied to a coat of mail. Especially in the compounds/phrases: jakke of defence ('jakke of defens', 1408; 'Iakke of defence', 1440; 'jak defence', 1454; etc.); jakke de defence ('jak de defense', 1375); jakke of fence ('Jak of fense', 1447; Iak of fence', ?a1475); etc., and AF jakke defensable. Note that the 'jack of plates' was a later, sixteenth-century, development. See Hayward, M. (2012)a(circa 1375 - post 1890 ?)
2. [200] ... mon goune furfuré de bever en quel drap que y soit. ... [200.29] ... jeo devise a Johan d’Aske .i. espey de meyn ... ové .i. hawberjon de meyns. Item jeo devyse a Richard Otteley .i. jacke de le meyn ové .i. garnement all ordynaunce de mez executours
Wills.
[AND Test Ebor (i 200-200.29) 1316/1491]
4. XI. [Corpse presents of arms and armour.]
36. Item, come par l'estatut de Wyncestre [3] et autres estatutz, soit ordeinez qe chescun homme soit armez et arraiez selonc lours estates en defense du roialme, ... et plusours soi arment a greindre value qe le remenant de touz lours biens, ... la leur parsones et vikers apres la mort des tielx demandent lours armures en noun des mortuaires et corps presantz; c'estassavoir plates, haubergeons, bacinettes, aventailes, gauntz de plates, actons, palettes, jackes defensibles, et autres armures, et impledont lours executours des choses suisditz en courte Cristiene, la ou ils sont juges mesmes. Si prient les communes q'en cest parlement soit ordenez par estatut qe les ditz parsones et vikers n'aient [Column b] nul tiel corps presant ne mortuaire d'armure, einz qe les armuers demoergent a les heirs ou executours, en defens du roialme.
Legal.
[LexP PROME (Rich. II: Parl. of Jan. 1380, Item 36) 1380]
Sex: Male Use: Secular Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest.
1b(n.)
Garment;
short, fitted tunic worn by a woman.(ante 1400)
Sex: Female Use: Secular Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Back, Chest.
Etymological Evidence:
Speculative, Old French (cf. French jaque), of uncertain origin; prob. from Arabic (šakk) [DMLBS V, 1499]. British Latin jakkum* from c1400, from Old French.
WF:
Etym Cog: jaque (OF).
References:
Archaeological Evidence:
The Rothwell Jack is the only known surviving garment of this type. The property of Holy Trinity Church, Rothwell, near Leeds, it is locally known as the coat of John of Gaunt (a son of King Edward III), but this attribution is probably false, though it could have been worn by one of his retinue and is probably 14th century. It is a hip-length, sleeveless padded garment, made of multiple layers of linen and carded wool, stitched together. Metal plates belonging to the Royal Armoury, Leeds, believed to have been taken from the jack, were probably not associated with it. For a detailed description see Hayward, M. (2012)b.
