1) In building contexts the verb meant to coat or cover a wall with a layer of plaster, mortar or the like. If the walls were made of laths or wattle the dauber will have used clay or mud mixed with straw.
1358 Item, in stramine pro doubers, iijs, York
1420-1 Et in servicio Thome Purvay doubantis defectus parietum domorum ibidem, Selby
1518 Item payd to ij workman for dobyng of John Esyngwold howse in the Clemethorpe xvjd
paid to a dober ... and for sand, vjd, York
1538 Item xviijth loid of dobbyn erth, vjd ... to ij dobers for ij days xvjd, York
1544 ‘to repair the messuage ... with thak straws and dawbyng with mud’, Acomb
1698 for latting, dowbing & plaistering 8 lutterans, Pickering. Used attributively 1416-7 ‘For 60 doubingstoures [stakes] bought from William Brown’, Selby
1446 mille c clavis vocatis dowbyngnayle, Beverley