Farmer and Henly, 'Slang and Its Analogues' give 'bloke' from 1883, but as slang, not Cant/Shelta. A Tinker using Cant/Shelta would probably use 'cove'. E.g., title of old song 'The cove what sings'.
J. S. Farmer has a whole book of cant songs, and I think it title was 'Musa Pedestra' (but I only glanced at it once). There were several small songbook collections of such in the 18th century. Look at an Irish imitation, probably in DT, "The Night before Larry was stretched". [If not there, a traditional version is listed in 'The Traditional Ballad Index'.] The 'Larry' one (c 1784) used the tune of, and probably imitated a rare song of c 1730, "The Bowman Prigg's Farewell" {I have only a few verses., and have been frustrated in attempts to get a complete text. Promised by Glasgow Univ. Lib., but never delivered.) A 'Bowman' was a pick-purse, and Mr. Prigg was caught, and was facing execution.]