Having looked now at all of the extant versions, it looks like Martin's text is collated like many others from those collected by Sharp. These comprise the bulk of the versions. There appears to be 5 stock stanzas and then 3 or 4 more, unique to single versions, mostly garbled. The 4 Sharp texts with tunes (others tune only) are given in Karpeles, 'Cecil Sharp's collection of English Folk Songs' from Mrs Sweet, James Bishop, Mrs Bray and Susan Williams. Vol 1 p373 onwards.

Marina Russel's version (Dorset) only has 2 verses (a third from other songs) and Sam Dawe's version has the 3 stock starting verses. Both of these from the Hammond Collection. The Full English also gives some versions of 'Searching for Young Lambs' among these which I will try to get put right shortly.

The Sam Henry version is probably close to the original if not the original itself. It is very flowery and most likely comes from the pleasure gardens of the 18thc. Sam may have got it from one of those 18thc songsters published with the tunes. It is interesting to note that Henry's verses are double as are 2 of Sharp's versions. This version has the first 3 verses of the English versions and then goes off on a flight of fancy with another 7 verses of the same ilk.