Probable source of all the American and some British folk versions is the Minstrel song Keemo Kimo which is available on sheet music from about 1854. There are lots of editions at the Lester Levy Sheet Music site. I'm not good at blue clickies but if you can't find it let me have your email address and I'll send you scans of some I have. Mine is gardhams # hotmaildotcom. There are plenty of oral versions in the American State Collections, Maritime Folksongs, Gainer, Eddy, Sharp/Campbell etc. The Minstrel version was popular on both sides of the pond and it wasn't original, just adapted, as this chorus can be found in 18th century English songs.