I think I learned my version, called "The Lord by the Northern Sea", many years ago, from my old friend, Jim Blaut. I also know part of a Swedish version, the first verse being:

Det bodde en bonde vid sjöastrand.
(Det blåser kallt, kallt väder ifrån sjön.)
Och tvenne dottrar hade han.
(Det blåser kallt, kallt väder ifrån sjön.)

Translation:
There lived a farmer by the sea-strand
   (There blows cold weather in from the sea.)
And two daughters had he.
   (There blows cold weather in from the sea.)

The bit in parentheses is the refrain.
In this version the father is a farmer, not a lord, but the story is much the same as other versions.

Jody, I live in London, but I do get over to the States at times.