I heard back from Danny Spooner on his "Shallow Brown" and this is what he had to say:

"someone showed me your mudcat discusions about shanties - very interesting stuff well done - I am pretty sure I would have got Shallow Brown from Bob but as I think I've said before I don't sing songs they sing me and it is quite possible that the tune version I use has recreated itself over the years. I always felt that there are hints of the Shenandoar tune here."

He also sent along this interesting bit of information on "The Jolly Wagoner" which was used as a pumping shanty at one point.

"Somewhere in you correspondences 16th Jan 10 you mention The Jolly Waggoner and English folksong the tune of which was used by the goldfields entertainer Charles Thatcher for a goldfields ditty he created called the Jolly Puddlers. Puddling was a method of gold seeking used in Oz."

Thanks, Danny.