Allan's Tyneside Songs (rev. ed. 1891), p. 473, has a biog of Joe Wilson.-- born 1841, and alive at publication time. He was very famous as a Newcastle comedian, and undoubtedly sang Cushy Butterfield, maybe making it more famous than its author, whose career after all lasted only about five years. The tune, as you may know, is that of the London stage song, "Pretty Polly Perkins".