Dan Nixon replied that he doesn't have the lyrics as such, but has offered to send me an *.ra file of the Edison cylinder version - I'll have a go at transcribing the lyrics from that...

Michael Kilgarriff very kindly supplied the following clues...
" ...I have it listed as sung by Gus Williams, though Billy Williams certainly recorded it - page 291 of Brian Rust's British Music Hall on Record lists BW as having recoded it c. March 1912 (matrix 79694) and issued for Pathe 5217, Pathe Actuelle 10676 and Diamond 0218. Billy Williams recorded over 500 songs in his brief career and it may be that this particular song was never published."

He also suggested these contacts, posted here for info, I'll follow the up email lead to the British Library...

Max Tyler 01243 783 322 - Historian of the British Music Hall Society
Performing Right Society - might have the copyright holder listed - tel 0207 580 5544.

" ...then there is the music library of the British Library; alas as yet the pre-1975 catalogue is not yet on-line so you'll have to write or email (www.bl.uk) ( Blicky to British Museum: dsc-customer-services@bl.uk ) for information... "

The chase continues - the game is afoot...