Green’s Dictionary of Slang

one who is dressed in tawdry finery.

1618		Owles almanacke 54: Bartholmew Faire begins euer on the 24 of August; but Bartlemew-babies are held in London (in mens armes) all the yeare long.
1639		J. Taylor Juniper Lecture 52: Those young gill-flurts, who trick themselves up like a Bartholmew-faire Babie.
1670		T. Brooks Works (1867) VI 51: Many professing men [...] were dressed up like fantastical antics, and women like Bartholomew-babies .
1682		Mennis & Smith et al. ‘Harry & Moll’ Wit and Drollery 343: Her Petticoat of Sattin, Her Gown of Crimson Tabby, Lac’d up before, and Spangl’d ore, Just like a Bartholomew Baby.
1700		T. Brown Amusements Serious and Comical in Works (1744) III 13: A Bartholomew baby-beau [...] with his pockets as empty as his brains.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Bartholomew Baby. A Person finely dressed like the Dolls or babies sold at Bartholomew fair.
1788		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd edn) n.p.: Bartholomew baby A person dressed up in a tawdry manner, like the dolls or babies sold at Bartholomew fair [...] Bartholomew doll, a tawdry over drest woman, like one of the children’s dolls sold at Bartholomew fair.
1794		Sporting Mag. Feb. III 293/1: With her bobs at her nose, and her quaw, quaw, quaw, / All the world like a Bartlemy doll.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1788].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1788].
1834		Morn. Advertiser 9 Jan. 1/5: here was nothing noble him. He was a made-up thing, unreal as a Bartholomew baby.