Bert Lloyd reckoned this member of the 'Rocking the Baby' family dated to the 1860s. It would fit in with the amount of variation in oral versions and it being widespread. The family of songs on the same theme goes back at least to the 17th century with similar pieces on broadsides of that period. This note of Bert's comes from the sleeve notes to Mike Waterson's solo album on which he sings a variant 'The Charlady's Son'. Bert reckoned Mike's version from Mick Taylor was a cross between this one and the Irish song 'Rocking the Cradle' but I can't see any of the Irish song in Mike's version. The original first line seems to have been 'Oh show me the lady that never will roam' as given in Australian variant.