Antedating of "Donkey"

[Shapiro, Fred]

donkey (OED 1785)

1784 _Morning Herald and Daily Advertiser_ (London) 4 Dec. (17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers)  Great sums of money were lost on the Donkey Race on Wimbeleon Common, and ... more turf engagements have been since made, one particularly, in which Lord T-------- has undertaken to produce an _ass_ belonging to a favorite gipsey of Norwood, which he will ride himself against any mule or poney which the _field_ of the Ministry shall produce before the 1st of May next.

Fred Shapiro

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