As mentioned in another thread, I heard a localised Liverpool version of this at the Ellesmere Port shanty fest this year. Seemed to me to be a bit closer to Frank Harte's Dublin version than to the Maid of Camden Town one. Question is, of course, whether the song headed steadily west or leapfrogged Liverpool initially, then came back to Liverpool on the ferry!

Listening, for the first time, to THIS VERSION of the Camden Town variant, I'm reminded of the songs of Tom Lehrer in the '60's. Wonder if that was the original inspiration?

Regards