Green’s Dictionary of Slang

an ugly person; thus bracket-faced adj.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Bracket-face Ugly, Homely, Illfavor’d.
1725		New Canting Dict.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: bracket-faced. Ugly, hard-featured.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1821		R. Waln Hermit in America on Visit to Phila. 2nd series 27: A hanger-on to bracket-faced, carotty-pated, gravy-eyed ape-leaders.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 7: Bracket face – devilish ugly.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1835].
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1915		M.G. Hayden ‘Terms Of Disparagement’ in DN IV:iii 217: bracket-faced, ugly. ‘She’s bracket-faced, but I like her just the same.’.