Hi,

Baring-Gould postulated an English origin and of course their are many "real instances of a young lad in an arranged marriage dying and leaving a son." Nothing has been found however to back it up. Baring-Gould's guessed but never had any facts to back it up. Then Broadwood and every collector has parroted this for no obvious reason.

However when the melody was collected in Scotland in 1675 and the first 7 versions are Scottish it might actually have something.

The fact that her 2nd husband was a Lord, rich heir and underage attending King's College since he was 14 and she was about 4 years older than this underage boy when they married in 1635- might be more compelling evidence. Lord Alexander Brodie was the College Boy.

Richie