I was listening the the carter family and heard "Sinking in the lonesome sea" which seems to be a direct variation of "Lowlands Low" or the song of many titles. :) I do keep hearing songs about sailors in oldtimey music. So if you can get your hands on some old-timey music, you're likely to run into ballads and sea chanties that have a strong flavor of England/Ireland/Western Europe.

However it's happened with many crossings and re-crossings of the pond, trading songs even now, etc. it is still a living process, IMO. that's what I really love about folk music.
T