[Ads-l] "spiriting (away)" -- verbal noun not in OED?

[Joel Berson]

If "spiriting"or "spiriting away" (kidnapping; see "spirit v." senses 5.a and 6.a) can be a noun, I don't see it in the OED.  "Spiriting n." is present, but not with the "kidnapping" sense.

I think the following are examples of "spiriting away" as a noun ... but I defer to superior knowledge on how to distinguish a verb from a verbal noun.

Under "ˈkidˈnapping  n. and adj.":  1682   N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) I. 187   The witnesses..were..to prove that there was..such a trade as kidnapping or spiriting away children.  [If here "kidnapping" is a noun, then so should be "spiriting away"?  Or is "kidnapping" a noun but "kidnapping children" would not be?]

Under "evidence, n.":  1731   Gentleman's Mag. 1 218   The Lady Lawley was sentenced to be imprisoned one month for spiriting away an evidence.
There are several other quotations in the OED for "spiriting (away)" that I suspect are verbal nouns.
Joel


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