Fascinating creative interpretations in this thread - wonderful speculative folklore!

I can hardly believe this has come up again. The 'Beauty of Cashmere' was a Victorian variety of rose with a characteristic of a very heavy head which made it droop - or hang down (rather like Ena Harkness does). I don't know what they sing in Cadgwith, but Charlie Bate, Mervyn and the crew always sang 'Beauty of Cashmere' - on the other hand Tommy Morrisey and Charlie Pitman sang 'beautiful Kashmir'. Thus it changed within the same area within 15 years when there was no explanation by which to retain the original.