Thanks, Lighter.

***

RR Terry's comments might be of interest, even if their accuracy is to be disputed.

In, Terry, R.R. 1920. "Sailor Shanties (I)." _Music and Letters_ 1(1):35-44.


Bullen included in his collection..."Poor Paddy works on the Railway," and his expressed dislike for it was doubtless due to the commonly accepted opinion that it was not a genuine shanty, but had been imported wholesale from "The Christy Minstrels" who
flourished in the 'fifties. [Actually, they started in 1843] But I think it is not sufficiently understood that just as sailors borrowed and adapted tunes from any and every source, so did the Christy Minstrels. Without wishing to be dogmatic, I have the following reason for thinking that "The Christies " annexed "Poor Paddy" from the sailor, and not vice versa. Mr. James Runciman (who died in 1891 [born 1852, Terry's uncle]) gave me a shanty which he had learnt from a great-uncle of his, the melody of which is nothing more or less than that of " Poor Paddy." I place the two side by side for purposes of comparison :—

THE SHAVER.

When I was a little tiny boy, I went to sea in Stormy's employ.
I sail'd away across the sea, When I was just a Shaver, a Shaver.
It's I was weary of the sea, when I was just a Shaver.

Oh they whacked me up, and they whacked me down.
The Mate he cracked me on the crown.
They whacked me round, and round, and round.
When I was just a Shaver. It's I was weary, etc.

[my rendition, for example]

POOR PADDY WORKS ON THE RAILWAY.

In eighteen hundred and forty one, My corduroy breeches I put on,
My corduroy breeches I put on, To work upon the railway, the railway.
I'm weary of the railway, Oh poor Paddy works on the railway.

So here at any rate we have an instance of a tune, universally attributed to the Christy Minstrels, but which (whatever its original source) was actually sung at sea before the Christy Minstrels came into existence. [This statement cannot be verified.]