Hello TriciaF and BillyBoy posters.
As a newbie to GN I've only just spotted your thread & was delighted to see it.
I had a wonderful music teacher at my secondary school in the northeast called George Ryder, who started a silver band from scratch & was also keen to encourage singers (like me). At an after school club he introduced, from the piano, a new song to be sung as a duet. I was overjoyed to hear the tune & then words that I knew very well - Billy Boy.
Our family was in possession of a wonderful book The News Chronical Song Book (circa 1946) compiled & edited by T P Ratcliff which was "not merely intended for Community Singing purposes".It's divided up into sections: general, negro spirituals,children's, hymns & carols, and sea shanties (including BB), with words & simple piano accompaniment.
Billy Boy is listed as a Northumbrian Capstan Shanty & was collected & edited by one R R Terry. There are four verses;1 is Where hev ye been aal the day, 2 is Is she fit to be yor wife,3 is Can she cook a bit o' steak, and 4 is Can she myek an Irish stew. Do those verses match yours?
I vaguely recall Mr Ryder trying to explain to two giggly schoolgirls just what "kittl'd me fancy" meant - but I think we made our own minds up!!