"grog"

[Joel S. Berson]

Being buried at the moment in the War of Jenkins' Ear and just having
read that the military men sailing from England to Jamaica were
allowed 3/4 of a gallon of beer per day for the first six weeks, I
wondered what is said about the origin of "grog" vis-a-vis Adm.
Edward "Grogram" Vernon.

The OED has as its first quotations 1770 and 1773, and the etymology
from Vernon's grogram.  But there is the claim that "two earlier
examples are known, in an 1818 book by Daniel Defoe and in one of the
Roxburghe Ballads, said to date from 1672-85. However, it is not
possible to substantiate either" (World Wide Words, Michael Quinion,
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gro4.htm).  Wikipedia says the
Defoe work is "The Family Instructor", but does not give publication
details (article "Grog").

First, the "1818" is an error.  Defoe is 1661?--1731, 1818 is not 22
years before Vernon, and there are editions of "The Family
Instructor" from 1715 -- although there is a 1718 edition (ESTC)

Second, why has it not been possible to substantiate Defoe?  Simply
because no-one has gone to read an edition?  Does ECCO or EEBO
contain an edition earlier than 1740?

Joel

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