Etymology

• Liverpool Docks scab labour from out of town: unloading ships, the dockers would carry the woollen bales on their backs, leaving traces of wool on their clothing.
• Medieval. Non resident Welsh and English people attempting to avoid the entrance fee at Chester City Walls on market day, by sneaking through the livestock entrances with a sheep on their back.
• Coal delivery men from mines in the areas surrounding Liverpool would use a sheep fleece as padding for their backs when carrying bags of coal from their vehicles.