I made the point about other ballads with penknives in a few versions, giving examples (Twa Brothers, Young Hunting); but counted the number of versions in Child of Cruel Mother [12 of 15] and of Babylon [all 6 of 6; with the penknife mentioned not once but repeatedly in all 6] in which a penknife is the murder weapon - no other ballad in the canon could compare with this frequency.

I also got my informant boy to confirm that he had sung "Fordie" & not some other word. His own suggestion was that it meant police in Ford cars: but when I pointed out that the police came running, not driving, up; & that the Met drove Wolsesleys not Fords in those days, he agreed it was so & could offer no further explanation for the name; which, however, he insisted was the right word that he and his mates always sang.

All this is anticipated and dealt with in my article; which I think you would do well, Steve, to read [I repeat, Notes & Queries {OUP}, March 1966, pp 103-104; an easily accessible, by no means obscure, journal] before attacking my conclusions - or, rather, suggestions.