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Cotgrave [French-English Dict. 1611] gives clearly iauge/gage but it also seems that he chiefly understands a "gage" to be a measuring instrument and in particular "the instrument wherewith caske is measured" and not a joiner's marking or mortice gauge.

It is Cotgrave's habit to prepend joiner's tools with "a joyner's" as in "Gouge...a joyner's googe". His additional meanings of iauge might though offer a hint in the quest for a meaning that does not concern the marking gauge: "an yron Leaver; the soyle of ground; whence, Labourer à iauge. To plough deep, or as deep as there is any soyle". It seems possible that the "iage" refered to in the joiners/carpenters dispute of 1632 relates to the joiner's plough or plow especially in relation to item 9 "all Sorts of Wainscott and sealing of Howses and setling made by the use of Two Iages". Two plows, one twin-ironed and one single-ironed, were used from at least the early 15th century to produce the tongue and groove respectively of tongue-and-groove "setling" [settling/jointing together]. Where elsewhere the use of a single iage is alluded to, this could refer to an ancient but still used type of multiple board cladding where each board is continuously feathered or bevelled and has a groove on its unreduced edge only, so obviating the need for a plowed tongue. And it might also refer to lap jointing which also required one plane [rabbet or plow] only and was often used when laying floor boards. The relationship of iauge to the plow might be further supported by the early 17th century term "plough-jogger" or "-jagger" meaning a ploughman.

I do see that none of this dispels the possibility that iage means a marking gauge, not least because the French today call it a mortaise jauge [although the word order suggests a later borrowing from English] and the action of a marking gauge is a ploughing action of sorts, but an iage as a specific type of joiner's [or carpenter's] plow/plough does seem to me to sit much more happily in the contexts it is found in here.

It is fair to assume that iage is from the French iauge. Cotgrave [French-English Dict. 1611] gives clearly iauge/gage but it also seems that he chiefly understands a "gage" to be a measuring instrument and in particular "the instrument wherewith caske is measured" and not a joiner's marking or mortice gauge.

It is Cotgrave's habit to prepend joiner's tools with "a joyner's" as in "Gouge...a joyner's googe". His additional meanings of iauge might though offer a hint in the quest for a meaning that does not concern the marking gauge: "an yron Leaver; the soyle of ground; whence, Labourer à iauge. To plough deep, or as deep as there is any soyle". It seems possible that the "iage" refered to in the joiners/carpenters dispute of 1632 relates to the joiner's plough or plow especially in relation to item 9 "all Sorts of Wainscott and sealing of Howses and setling made by the use of Two Iages". Two plows, one twin-ironed and one single-ironed, were used from at least the early 15th century to produce the tongue and groove respectively of tongue-and-groove "setling" [settling/jointing together]. Where elsewhere the use of a single iage is alluded to, this could refer to an ancient but still used type of multiple board cladding where each board is continuously feathered or bevelled and has a groove on its unreduced edge only, so obviating the need for a plowed tongue. And it might also refer to lap jointing which also required one plane [rabbet or plow] only and was often used when laying floor boards. The relationship of iauge to the plow might be further supported by the early 17th century term "plough-jogger" or "-jagger" meaning a ploughman.

I do see that none of this dispels the possibility that iage means a marking gauge, not least because the French today sometimes call a mortise gauge a mortaise jauge [although the word order suggests a later borrowing from English, and trusquin, also current, is a much older and the more widely used French term] and the action of a marking gauge is a ploughing action of sorts, but an iage as a specific type of joiner's [or carpenter's] plow/plough does seem to me to sit much more happily in the contexts it is found in here.

Cotgrave [French-English Dict. 1611] gives clearly iauge/gage but it also seems that he chiefly understands a "gage" to be a measuring instrument and in particular "the instrument wherewith caske is measured" and not a joiner's marking or mortice gauge.

It is Cotgrave's habit to prepend joiner's tools with "a joyner's" as in "Gouge...a joyner's googe". His additional meanings of iauge might though offer a hint in the quest for a meaning that does not concern the marking gauge: "an yron Leaver; the soyle of ground; whence, Labourer à iauge. To plough deep, or as deep as there is any soyle". It seems possible that the "iage" refered to in the joiners/carpenters dispute of 1632 relates to the joiner's plough or plow especially in relation to item 9 "all Sorts of Wainscott and sealing of Howses and setling made by the use of Two Iages". Two plows, one twin-ironed and one single-ironed, were used from at least the early 15th century to produce the tongue and groove respectively of tongue-and-groove "setling" [settling/jointing together]. Where elsewhere the use of a single iage is alluded to, this could refer to an ancient but still used type of multiple board cladding where each board is continuously feathered or bevelled and has a groove on its unreduced edge only, so obviating the need for a plowed tongue. And it might also refer to lap jointing which also required one plane [rabbet or plow] only and was often used when laying floor boards.

  The relationship of iauge to the plow might be further supported by the early 17th century term "plough-jogger or -jagger meaning a ploughman. I do see that none of this dispels the possibility that iage means a marking gauge, not least because the French today call it a mortaise jauge [although the word order suggests a translated borrowing from English] and the action of a marking gauge is a ploughing action of sorts, but an iage as a specific type of joiner's [or carpenter's] plow/plough does seem to me to sit much more happily in the contexts it is found here.

Cotgrave [French-English Dict. 1611] gives clearly iauge/gage but it also seems that he chiefly understands a "gage" to be a measuring instrument and in particular "the instrument wherewith caske is measured" and not a joiner's marking or mortice gauge.

It is Cotgrave's habit to prepend joiner's tools with "a joyner's" as in "Gouge...a joyner's googe". His additional meanings of iauge might though offer a hint in the quest for a meaning that does not concern the marking gauge: "an yron Leaver; the soyle of ground; whence, Labourer à iauge. To plough deep, or as deep as there is any soyle". It seems possible that the "iage" refered to in the joiners/carpenters dispute of 1632 relates to the joiner's plough or plow especially in relation to item 9 "all Sorts of Wainscott and sealing of Howses and setling made by the use of Two Iages". Two plows, one twin-ironed and one single-ironed, were used from at least the early 15th century to produce the tongue and groove respectively of tongue-and-groove "setling" [settling/jointing together]. Where elsewhere the use of a single iage is alluded to, this could refer to an ancient but still used type of multiple board cladding where each board is continuously feathered or bevelled and has a groove on its unreduced edge only, so obviating the need for a plowed tongue. And it might also refer to lap jointing which also required one plane [rabbet or plow] only and was often used when laying floor boards. The relationship of iauge to the plow might be further supported by the early 17th century term "plough-jogger" or "-jagger" meaning a ploughman. 

I do see that none of this dispels the possibility that iage means a marking gauge, not least because the French today call it a mortaise jauge [although the word order suggests a later borrowing from English] and the action of a marking gauge is a ploughing action of sorts, but an iage as a specific type of joiner's [or carpenter's] plow/plough does seem to me to sit much more happily in the contexts it is found in here.

Cotgrave [French-English Dict. 1611] gives clearly iauge/gage but it also seems that he chiefly understands a "gage" to be a measuring instrument and in particular "the instrument wherewith caske is measured" and not a joiner's marking or mortice gauge. It is Cotgrave's habit to prepend joiner's tools with "a joyner's" as in "Gouge...a joyner's googe". His additional meanings of iauge might though offer a hint in the quest for a meaning that does not concern the marking gauge: "an yron Leaver; the soyle of ground; whence, Labourer à iauge. To plough deep, or as deep as there is any soyle". It seems possible that the "iage" refered to in the joiners/carpenters dispute of 1632 relates to the joiner's plough or plow especially in relation to item 9 "all Sorts of Wainscott and sealing of Howses and setling made by the use of Two Iages". Two plows, one twin-ironed and one single-ironed, were used from at least the early 15th century to produce the tongue and groove respectively of tongue-and-groove "setling" [settling/jointing together]. Where elsewhere the use of a single iage is alluded to, this could refer to an ancient but still used type of multiple board cladding where each board is continuously feathered or bevelled and has a groove on its unreduced edge only, so obviating the need for a plowed tongue. And it might also refer to lap jointing which also required one plane [rabbet or plow] only and was often used when laying floor boards. The relationship of iauge to the plow might be further supported by the early 17th century term "plough-jogger or -jagger meaning a ploughman. I do see that none of this dispels the possibility that iage means a marking gauge, not least because the French today call it a mortaise jauge [although the word order suggests a translated borrowing from English] and the action of a marking gauge is a ploughing action of sorts, but an iage as a specific type of joiner's [or carpenter's] plow/plough does seem to me to sit much more happily in the contexts it is found here.

Cotgrave [French-English Dict. 1611] gives clearly iauge/gage but it also seems that he chiefly understands a "gage" to be a measuring instrument and in particular "the instrument wherewith caske is measured" and not a joiner's marking or mortice gauge. 

It is Cotgrave's habit to prepend joiner's tools with "a joyner's" as in "Gouge...a joyner's googe". His additional meanings of iauge might though offer a hint in the quest for a meaning that does not concern the marking gauge: "an yron Leaver; the soyle of ground; whence, Labourer à iauge. To plough deep, or as deep as there is any soyle". It seems possible that the "iage" refered to in the joiners/carpenters dispute of 1632 relates to the joiner's plough or plow especially in relation to item 9 "all Sorts of Wainscott and sealing of Howses and setling made by the use of Two Iages". Two plows, one twin-ironed and one single-ironed, were used from at least the early 15th century to produce the tongue and groove respectively of tongue-and-groove "setling" [settling/jointing together]. Where elsewhere the use of a single iage is alluded to, this could refer to an ancient but still used type of multiple board cladding where each board is continuously feathered or bevelled and has a groove on its unreduced edge only, so obviating the need for a plowed tongue. And it might also refer to lap jointing which also required one plane [rabbet or plow] only and was often used when laying floor boards. 

The relationship of iauge to the plow might be further supported by the early 17th century term "plough-jogger or -jagger meaning a ploughman. I do see that none of this dispels the possibility that iage means a marking gauge, not least because the French today call it a mortaise jauge [although the word order suggests a translated borrowing from English] and the action of a marking gauge is a ploughing action of sorts, but an iage as a specific type of joiner's [or carpenter's] plow/plough does seem to me to sit much more happily in the contexts it is found here.