The notes to the Daisy Chapman CD (who was Scottish, not English as I said) have the following:

One must presume that this is an American song, since 51 of Roud's 76 instances are from there. Henry Burstow, Charlie Wills and Percy Webb knew it in England, as does Maggie McGee from Inis Eoghain - and a good many other Irish singers too, who are not mentioned in the Index. In Scotland, only Dodie Chalmers and Davie Stewart (both of Aberdeen) have been recorded singing it. Mike Yates has unissued recordings of it from both Fred Jordan and Walter Pardon.

I can add to this that there was a Hampshire version collected in the 60s and unpublished.

Any more info?

Tradsinger