Hi Tim

After hearing you sing this tonight I was piqued to find your post. Rob Waltz's suggestion that it might be from the Maritimes made me look at Julia Lane's and Fred Gosbee's book "Bygone Ballads of Maine" and sure enough Julia has researched and published it.

Their note on the song says that it "seems to originate in Scotland, appearing in the Grieg/Duncan Collection, and migrating to Ireland, Maritime Canada, and Maine. One feature which does not occur in all versions is that of the oblivious yopung lady ... 'Home Sweet Home' suggests the piece is no older than the ditty, namely 1828."

She could of course be a later addition.

Something I failed to mention in the discussion after your song was the reference to Rodney. Could this be Admiral George Rodney? He had a command in the Atlantic during the American War of Indepencence.