I have found in Nicholas Reed's edited reprint (2005) of "English's Reminiscences of Old Folkestone, Smugglers and Smuggling days" published in 1883 the words of a song which starts: "We smuggling boys are merry boys".The author describes as being sung by an old woman. It describes an actual incident in 1820 when Folkestone Smugglers were held in Dover Gaol but a mob of local men women and children broke into the prison and released those incarcerated.

I have tried web searches for this song and have found it repeated and described as a folk song but it does not feature in the Roud Index. It is to be found in the Oxford Journal 'Notes & Queries' in 1913 but I have been unable to obtain a copy as yet.

I suspect that it was composed soon after the event perhaps for a newspaper?

Does anyone know anything about this song such as the tune that it might have been sung to or its origin?