bobbery 1784 antedates OED2 1816-

[Joel S. Berson]

By a wag correspondent from Spanish town [Jamaica], we are informed,
that a military buck having publicly declared that he would make an
attack behind the scenes of the theatre, and there kick up, what he
polite[l]y called a bobbery, (some new military term for a riot), on
Friday evening last, forced the out posts of the stage door, and in
[the] tactical phrase, made a lodgement [etc.].

Pennsylvania Packet, 6 March 1784, page 2, col. 3.  [Early American Newspapers]

bobbery (n)
antedates OED2 1816-

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