In Joe Mitchell Chappell's perennial favorite "Heart Songs," originally published in 1909, the four-verse version of this is credited to one M. Tyte. The verses, briefly:

Fare you well, my own Mary Anne ...

Don't you see that turtle dove ...

A lobster in a lobster pot ...

I'll give the final verse as it's different from any above.

The pride of all the produce rare,
That in the kitchen garden grow'd,
Was pumpkins, but none could compare
In angel form to my Mary Anne!
Could compare with Mary Anne.

Some observations.

This final verse, and some touches in the others, make it clear the intent is comical. At a guess, Tyte might not be the original author, but rewrote "My Mary Ann" (his title) for concert performance as a comic song.

On the other hand, Tyte *could* be the name of the original author. "Heart Songs" is, as far as I have been able to tell, usually reliable in its assignment of authorship.

However, on evidence in this thread, that would mean Tyte would have had to write the song before 1850. Frankly it does not sound that old, and I question the earliest dates given above, particularly that of Marius Barbeau -- a sound scholar whose statements are always worthy of respect, but in this case I think his sailor stretched the years a little too thin.

Performance history among modern folkies seems to be rooted in Peggy Seeger's 1950s recorded version. It's my belief that she was the first to dig the song out and perform it widely in the US, and that hers is the one that became the standard, close to that sung by Mike Cross above, though not exact. I haven't Ian and Sylvia's lyrics to hand, but I bet they (and most everyone else) learned it from Peggy's recording or from someone else who covered it.

Anyone know who "M. Tyte" might be?

Bob