First observation, it has obvious text from other pirate ballads. Second, it is a rather convoluted story, unlike many another of its ilk. Third, it has landsman written all over it. A writer having a go at a pirate ballad? I would go with Bob's suggestion that it's not British. Its appearance in Hampshire is not surprising. Many south coast fishermen went fishing off Newfoundland in the 19th century and several American songs turn up on the English south coast. Pure conjecture but I'd say on style it's not much older than 1860.
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