Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a ‘sturdy’ or able-bodied and poss. violent beggar.

1508		Dunbar ‘A General Satyre’ in Laing Poems (1834) II 26: Sic knavis and crakkaris, to play at cartis and dyce, Sic halland-schekkaris quhilk at Cokkilbeis gryce, Ar haldin of pryce.
c.1580		Polwart Invectiues Capitane Allexander Montgomeree and Pollvart in Parkinson (Poems) (2000) IX line 31: Land lowper, licht scoipper, raggit rowpper lyk a revin, Halland shaiker, drawcht raiker, bannock baiker beshitten.
c.1642		F. Sempill Maggie Lauder [song] A piper met her gaun to Fife, And pier’d what was’t they ca’d her; Right scornfully she answer’d him, Began you hallan shaker.
1724		Journal from London 4: Had seen me than staakin about like a hallen-shaker, You wou’d hae taen me for a water-wraith [F&H].
1790		‘The New Way of Maggie Lauder’ Garland of New Songs 3: [as cit. c.1642].
1816		Sir W. Scott Antiquary in Waverley (1855) II 29: I, and a wheen hallenshakers like mysel’.
1818		J. Hogg Wool-Gatherer 186: Your wife! Weel I wat ye’ll never get the like o’ her, great muckle hallanshaker-like guff.

2. in attrib. use of sense 1, shabby .

1904

Dundee Courier 19 July 6/4: Can I think o’ drivin’ a weel-faured respectable leddy among her braw friends wi’ a hallen-shaker coat on my back?