Well, well. I've just found this thread!

Yes, I admit it, Barbara & I found the shanty in a C# mss collected from John Short of Watchet in 1914. Sharp published 47 of Short's shanties - but not this one. (Nor did he publish some other very interesting shanties/versions from Short).

We recorded Rosabella on the North Devon Maritime Museum's cassette "Over The Bar" in 1979 - whence we gave it to Collins & Mageean, whence all other version sung in the revival ultimately stem.

We're currently working on the entire Short repertoire, in a project called The Short, Sharp, Shanties (obvious really) including all the ones Sharp didn't publish and the versions that everyone sings without realising they came originally from John Short - the only shantyman ever to get an obituary in The Times (London.)

We always thought the Rosabella from Short was unique, but there'a a Saucy Rosabella in the Carpenter collection(ref: 03153)which looks structurally the same, but we haven't heard the tune yet - and there is allegedly a Rosabella in Beck, Folklore and the Sea (1973) pp.155-156 (collected in the West Indies)which we haven't found a copy of yet (anyone got it and care to post the words?)

Keep singing

Tom Brown