Having said that, Johnson says the words and music were old in 1845 but they did not come together as a song till 1845. There is sheet music of this date in the Levy Collection online. However Pitts died in 1844 so I would say there is every likelihood that it was being sung to some tune or other between 1818 and 1844. Looking at the other printers who put it out I'd guess a date sometime in the 1820s.