Earliest in print?:

Once a Week (London), New Series, Vol. 19,1868 p. 102:

"Boney was a Warrior . . . is the only one I know that has the words complete :--

          Oh, Boney was a warrior, away a yah,
          A bonnie little warrior, John Francivaux.

John Francivaux is the nautical rendering of Johnny Crapeau. In the next two couplets Jack avails himself of his poetic licence to some purpose : —

         He cruised in the Channel, away a yah,
        The Channel of old England, John Francivaux.

…he is brought to St. Helena:--

        And there he pined and dièd, away a yah;
        
        There grows a weeping willow, John Francivaux.
        A-weeping for poor Boney, John, &c."

Chantey scholars should note "the only one I know that has the words complete." That seems to confirm that the vast majority of chanteys had one or more "standard" stanzas, with varying degrees of ad-libbing after.


A fuller early appearance:

Mrs. Charles Garnett, "Corbiestanes: Chronicles of a Fishing Village," The Sunday Magazine for Family Reading (London) (1880), p. 39:

"Out away in the North Sea the 'top-sel' was being hoisted on board the Bonn? Betsey, and as the sailors strained at the ropes, over the water rang in doleful measure, rising and falling in unison with the surrounding waves, the time-keeping song of 'Boney.' A finely-made man, the first on the line, his golden ringlets blowing about his beautiful Saxon face, led in a clear tenor, the men joining in the pulling chorus which came every
alternate line : —

   'You've heard of Napoleon Boney-party —
    Why, ha, har ! Why, ha, har !
   Boney was a warrior —
    Why, ha, har ! Why, ha, har !

   He fought the Danes and Prussi-ans,
   
   Also he fought the Röü-shians.

   Now Boney went to Moscow —
   
   Moscow 'tw?s a burning.

   Now Boney went a-cruising
   
   In the Channel of Old England,

   Nelson also went a-cruising,
   
   And thus they chanced to meet;

   And Boney got took up,

   And Nelson shipped him in a packet

   All to Saint Helena'

And after every line —

        'Why, ha, har ! Why, ha, har !'"



And an alleged earlier date:

Denham Rouse, "Song Wanted," Notes and Queries (London) (7th Series, Vol. V) (Apr. 21, 1888), p. 307:

"A favourite capstan song forty years ago in Green's India fleet began as follows:

        Old Boney was a warrior,
                Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho;
        He beat the Rooshians,
                Yo-ho, yo-ho.

"I wish to find out the rest of it, and, if possible, the tune."

Since Rouse wanted the tune as well as the words, he could not himself.have heard the song ca1850.