Lyrics of OLD TOWLER, with musical notation for the melody line, appears in The Yorkshire Musical Miscellany (Halifax: E. Jacobs, 1800), page 10.

The text only is included in Act 1, Scene 4, of the play “The Czar Peter” by John O’Keefe. A notation on the title page of the play says: “Performed at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden, in 1789. - The musick by Mr. Shield.” The entire play is included in “The Dramatic Works of John O’Keefe, Esq.” Vol. 3. (London: T Woodfall, 1798)--the song is on page 135.

The Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins University has 2 editions of the sheet music for OLD TOWLER, both undated, both attributed to “Mr. Shield.”

One edition, published in Boston [USA], says: “Sung by Mr. Williamson at the Boston Theatre.”

The other edition, published in New York, says: “Sung by Mr. Tyler at the Newyork Theatre.”