Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a womanizer, a pimp.

1592		Greene Defence of Conny-Catching 47: Neither the report of others, nor the admonition of their friends, can draw them from the loue of the Poligamoi or bel-swaggers of the country. And when the wretches haue by the space of a moneth or two satisfied their lust, they waxe weary [...] & so go & visit some other of his wiues.
1661		F. Kirkman Presbyterian Lash 3: ’Tis a fine age I’faith when such Belswaggers must be taking up Wenches Petticoats .
1678		Dryden Kind Keeper IV i: Be satisfi’d, thy Sheers shall never enter into my Cloth. But, look to thyself, thou impudent Belswagger: I’ll be reveng’d.
1764		Bloody Register I 133: And, what is worse than thieves can do, / Cheat you of soul and money too; / Lead scandalous and wicked lives, / And, like Bell-swagger, ride your wives.
1775		J. Ash Dict. Eng. Lang. n.p.: Belswagger, a whoremaster.
a.1790		C.Dibdin ‘Sergeant Belswagger’ in Songs (1842) 38/1: When Sergeant Belswagger, that masculine brute [...] kiss’d you.

2. (also bellyswagger) a noisy braggart, a bully.

1639		J. Taylor ‘This Summers Travels’ in Hindley Works (1872) 1: A cockney boasting bragger in mirth did ask the women for Belswagger.
1651		J. Taylor Nonsence upon sence 8: Bell-swagger / Who oft at Mims did his dudgeon Dagger.
1672		J. Phillips Maronides (1678) VI 60: Such rude Belswaggers, all Pickt-hatch / Nor Bear-garden did ever match.
1697		World in the Moon n.p.: Mean? Why here has been a young belswagger, a great he-rogue, with your daughter, sir [N].
1709		Indictment of Sir John Barley Corn 2: The Right Worshipful Sir Solomon Sobersides, and Sir Lucifer Bellswagger, chief Judges of the Court.
1721		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. n.p.: Bellswagger a swaggering Fellow, a hectoring Blade, a Bully.
1751		W. Kenrick Falstaff’s Wedding (1766) IV xiii: The devil sure is in fee with this roisting bell-swagger.
1775		J. Ash Dict. Eng. Lang. n.p.: Belly-swagger, a bully, a hectoring fellow.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) I 73: bel-swagger [...] is used in the sense of a bully or hector.
1834		‘Jack Downing’ Andrew Jackson 27: The gineral at first thou’t him a mere bell-swagger.