Thanks Jim for adding this song, which must have been a popular 'hit' from the 1830's. It was probably ignored by collectors for not being a 'real' folk song, although Cecil Sharp did note a verse and tune from Mrs Lock of Muchelney Ham, Somerset in 1904. Alfred Willams seems to have noted down everything people sang for him so that his collection appears to be a good record of the songs which people actually sang.

The song also appears in the novel A Shiny Night, by Beatrice Tunstall set in 19th century Cheshire. This novel has long been out of print but is well worth searching for; it tells the story of Seth Stone who returns to his native Cheshire village after serving a sentence as a transport to Australia for killing a gamekeeper. The novel contains snatches of other songs as well as details of lot of folk customs such as souling and hoisting and descriptions of dances and music; its also a very good read!
Matthew