scaveln.

c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 178 Now schal I telle ȝou how ȝe schal caste out þe hard wose of ȝoure synne,..wyth a scauel of confessioun.

c1450 Jacob's Well (1900) 179 A scauel, in þe heued beforn, hath a scho of yren, scharp & myȝti, & an heued, hole & narow, & a long stele, an handyll.

1559 in Boys Sandwich (1792) 737 One workeman with a spade or skavell may digg in one howre C. foote.

1580 T. Tusser Fiue Hundred Pointes Good Husbandrie (new ed.) f. 16^v With skuppat and skauel, that marsh men alow.

a1623 H. Spelman Relat. Virginia (1884) p. cxi They digg many holes which before the English brought them scauels and spades they vsed to make with a crooked peece of woode.

1823 E. Moor Suffolk Words 352 Skaffel, a small spade or skuppet used in draining... It differs from a spade in not tapering toward the edge, and in having its sides slightly turned up.

1642 Burghmote Book B, Canterb. (MS.) Which persons are appointed for the Scavell work and are disired to digge Turf and earth for the fortification.

1581 in C. Welch Tower Bridge (1894) 103 [A number of] showtmen, now called scavelmen.

1584 Faversham Parish Reg. (MS.) John Price a scauelman or dicker.

1587 A. Fleming et al. Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) III. Contin. 1544/2 A great manie marshmen were assigned to laie the fleech vpon the sides of the wals, and were called scauelmen.

1803 Naval Chron. 15 58 The scavelmen are a description of labourers..who attend to clean and pump the docks, and in general assist the ship~wrights.

1750 T. R. Blanckley Naval Expositor Scavel Spitters, are a small Spade, only shod half way, and are used for digging Clay.