The jolly song comes from the ballad opera, The Jovial Crew,  1731 where the tunes is given as Three merry men of Kent and was republished in Chappell’s Popular Music of the Olden Time, (1859).  This is the only instance of the song turning up in tradition.  The tune published in 1859 can be found here.

Notes by Gwilym Davies 7 April 2016