Dear Nerd if you date the 'English' settlement from around the times of the Alamo you'd be fair close, but you'd be talkin several generations of previous residence elsewhere in the then United States; thus how English is a moot point.

Second ,and far more interesting - Mr Jed probably already has it in his show -, the King of Spain granted to Irish Catholic settlers a fair hunk of what later became Texas long long before there was any talk of the Republic of Texas.

Then to add more mystery of the Gringo there was a large contingent of Irish Volunteers formed in Ireland who shipping to Mexico joined the Mexican army which fought and lost a war with the United States.

If you are interested there remains still a Mexican War old soldiers club in Ireland and Mexico.

Lots of songs which look like they MIGHT be English in origin can be misleading the guessers when we notice the very same theme in other earlier traditions eg Irish/Scots. In fact the most likely explanation would be that popularity on the mainland often MISLED collectors to thinking the song belonged there.

But I think 'Streets of Laredo' is Pakistani and Git 'long lil doogies is Afghan!