Dating of "blackmail" = 'any payment extorted by intimidation'?

[Joel S. Berson]

The OED2 has as its earliest cite for "blackmail n.", sense 2,  the
year 1826:. How far back before that can one now go?  The quotation
marks in the 1826 citation suggest it was recent then.

  2. By extension: Any payment extorted by intimidation or pressure,
or levied by unprincipled officials, critics, journalists, etc. upon
those whom they have it in their power to help or injure. Now usu. a
payment extorted by threats or pressure, esp. by threatening to
reveal a discreditable secret; the action of extorting such a
payment. Also fig.
    a1826 R. Heber Narr. Journey Upper Prov. India (1828) I. xvi. 441
The country is burdened with a crowd of lazy, profligate, self-called
suwarrs, who+obtain for the most part a precarious livelihood by
spunging on the industrious tradesmen and farmers, on whom they levy
a sort of 'black~mail'.

Joel

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