Here's the entry on this song from www.folktrax.org - looks like the earliest known source is *PURSLOW MB 1965/ WS 1968/ CL 1972/ FD 1974 = Frank Purslow: Marrowbones/ Wanton Seed/ Constant Lovers/ Foggy Dew (EFDS Publ)



TAILOR'S BREECHES, THE - "There was a brisk young tailor - lived at the Ram and the Gate - loved wine and women's company" - ROUD#1610

- PURSLOW MB 1965 p87 Hammond: Jacob Baker, Bere Regis & Robert Barratt, Piddletown, Dorset 1905 (w/o) Note says Hardy mentions song in novels and that a broadside version is concerned with a sailor's adventures in Covent Garden (*PURSLOW MB 1965/ WS 1968/ CL 1972/ FD 1974 = Frank Purslow: Marrowbones/ Wanton Seed/ Constant Lovers/ Foggy Dew (EFDS Publ) )
- Cf SAILOR'S FROLIC - RICHARDS-STUBBS 1979 pp144-5 coll Colin Wharton, Middlesbrough--
Frank PURSLOW & John PEARSE rec by PK, London: DOBELL F-LEUT-1 1960/ 219
- Barry SKINNER: ARGO ZFB-34 1971 - UNION FOLK: TRADITIONAL SOUND TSR-007 1971
- THE YETTIES: ARGO ZFB-38 1972/ Radio 2: 25/11/87: CASS-60-0556 - Martin Carthy
(Whitby version with new words & "New Year" rec by John Howson on Radio 2: 4/1/96: CASS-1335