Here are the words to a chantey that I seem to have been singing forever.
Can anyone help with the origins of THE HOGSEYE MAN? Who were they and what was their function? A cursory search of the net revealed zip.
Regards all.

HOGSEYE MAN

The hogseye man is the man for me,
As he comes in sailin' o'er the sea.

CHORUS: To me hogseye!
Row row navvies to me hogseye,
Row the boat ashore to me hogseye, ah,
She loves the hogseye man!

Oh, Sally's in the garden pickin' up peas
With her long yeller hair hangin' down her knees.

And hand me down my walkin' cane.
I'm going to see Miss Sally Jane.

Oh, and who's been here since I been gone,
But a big buck nigger with his sea-boots on.

If he is here next time I pass,
Take a running jump at his big fat leg.

Oh, Sally in the parlor sittin' on me knee,
Kissin' of the sailor who's home from sea.

Sally's in the garden siftin' sand,
With the hogseye man sittin' hand in hand.

Sally in the kitchen, kneadin' duff,
And the cheeks of her arse goin' chuff, chuff, chuff.

Sally in the garden pickin' up peas,
With a lot of little hogseyes round her knees.

Oh, the hogseye man is the man for me,
For he is blind and he cannot see.

Oh, a hogseye ship and a hogseye crew,
A hogseye mate and a skipper too.