Bill in Alabama, I've always wondered about a ballad from Sir Walter Scott, Child #190, "Jamie Telfer of the Fair Dodhead". James Telfer was one of Scott's helpers in collecting old ballads in Scotland. He was also one of John Bell's helpers collecting old songs and ballads in Northumberland.

I suspect it was Telfer that got a hold of an old Scots tune MS, the 'Leyden MS of 1692'. The manuscript was long lost, but someime in the late 1960's or early 70', I think, that the manuscript was discovered in Newcastle Universary Library among the song. ballad, and music collection of Robert White of Newcastle (It's now MS White #42).

I have notes someplace about a fraud of Scott's that I don't know has been exposed yet. I'll go look for may notes. Scott later admited that a piece he published as an old song was a fragment that he 'coopered up', but even that was a lie.