Hi,

TY Steve for your thoughtful comments.

I've got the first extant versions organized and have started writing a narrative here: http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/3-the-bramble-briar-merchants-daughter-.aspx

It looks like there are around 15 versions from Sharp/Campbell in EFSSA and his MS. Here are the earliest versions so far which are all on my site:

A. "Near Turnbridge Waters" found in Chapter 18 in Tales About Christmas by Peter Parley (Samuel Griswold Goodrich) London 1838.

B. "The Bridgewater Merchant," from New York MS taken from an aunt of Artemas Stevens; dated circa 1820, part of Douglass/Stevens MS from A Pioneer Songster- Thompson, 1958.

C. "The Apprentice Boy" from Ohio/Michigan taken MS book (c. 1852) of Mrs. Elsie Clark Lambertson.

D. "The Bamboo Brier" Sung by Mrs. Samuel Harmon; Cades Cove, TN from Council Harmon (1806-1890) dated c. 1840

E. "The Merchant's Daughter"- Carl Mayhew Missouri, dated 1870, collected in 1910, Belden A

F. "The Bamboo Briers"- Hannah Ross from Virginia to West Virginia; 1875 Cox A

G. "The Bramble Brier"- Sung by Jane Goon Ohio taken from Carrie Brubaker by 1876. Eddy

H. "The Bramble Brier," from Henry J. Wehman (Wehman's Universal Songster); printed in NY. No. 28, p. 23; 1890.

I. "The Jealous Brothers," sung by Mr. Doney Hammontree of Farmington, Ark; from Randolph, Ozark Folksongs dated 1890s.

Richie