Surely the point is that Martin Carthy, Ewan MacColl, Bert lloyd, and by the same token Joan Baez - were artists. They did (do) with the songs what is necessary to make them live - given the audience they have.

The hand weaver and the factory maid is not about lancashire specifically but about social divisions. Like people who buy t-shirts from from Next and Marks, and those who buy from Fosters.

that line, 'nowt lies there but a fact'ry maid'. Didn't you ever take a girlfriend home that your parents didn't approve of?

if we've got down to the point where this music and these songs, are just about history and who said what to whom and with exactly what words, the folkscene is really up shit creek.