This song is in Baring Gould's 'A Garland of Country Song', where it is treated somewhat disparagingly, as 'the melody is without originality and...we do not believe that it is a folk song...it has, however, been accepted by the sailors'. He got the tune from a Royal Marines Bandmaster and the words from an officer. He compares it, unfavourably, with 'The Simple (or Pretty) Ploughboy' from his 'Songs of the West', a version of which, by Whaley & Fletcher, is on Song Links 2. This does not name the girl at all, but the printed words in 'Garland' give her as Helena Ford, but still with no further information. Notwithstanding I like the song, which I heard from Dave Burland, so presumably he does too.