I will be transcribing the other manuscript version soon so we'll see what ship names that comes up with but in one of the other songs there is mention of the Orange being run ashore and I think it's dated. About 1750 is looking like a probable date.

When we look at ballads from a similar date that mention vessels they often can be traced back to a single real event. The Mars and Nottingham, and Princess Royal for example. The fact that later oral versions often changed the name of the ships, the dates, the ordnance, crew numbers, doesn't detract from this.

It is possible the ballad dates to the 17th century but unlikely and the style is very much mid 18thc.