Joe, 1894 for Trilby is right, you know I can't type ( or proofread very well on a computer screen). The 1844 Webster version cited above is from sheet music and postdates English's publication of the poem. As Jackson said, there were quite a few song versions of "Ben Bolt". My guess is that Webster was either the tunesmith or the music publisher, or both (I know it's in Levy, but my computer doesn't have the resolution to read the Levy sheets). Sheet music publishers were not above ripping off popular lyrics without proper credit. That still leaves some loose ends although I probably favor Jackson's conclusions. At least he seems to have researched some of the older literature and documents. The "Songs that Never Die" version you cite above lists the words by English, but gives 1839 for the date versus the 1843 newspaper publication date given by Jackson. Again, given a choice, I would favor Jackson's date because popular song books of any era are not well known for research. The sheet music with the Kneass tune that is reproduced in Jackson's book may be the same as at the Levy site, because Jackson got some of his material from Levy. The title page has:
Ben Bolt or Oh! Don't You Remember, Ballad, sung by Miss Clara Bruce, compsed by Nelson Kneass; (louisville) W.C. Peters & Co.- Peters, Field & Co. (Cincinnati).

On the first page of the music it has:
Ben Bolt, or Ah! (not Oh) Don't You Remember. As sung by J H McCann.

At the bottom of the page it says it was entered in the year 1843 in the Clerk's office in Kentucky. Jackson says Kneass' music was from 1848.

There are also some lyric differences in versions, as was already discussed above. Webster has a cruel & grimschool master, Kneass has a kind & true one. The Webster version, the Kneass (from Jackson) version and the one in "songs That Never Grow Old" all have different words in the second verse; and Webster has a fourth verse not in the other two. Webster could also be taking credit for his rewrite and additions without acknowledging the original. Does the word plagiarism fit here.

Joe, You didn't tell me you ran out and rounded up a copy of "Songs That Never Grow Old" :-} Don't you love the picture gallery in the front?

Sarah - You can't get way with generalities like that. You've got to name your folk-deprived places, if you want me to seriouslyconsider them :-)

rich r