Hi Steve,

You're right, even though they concluded "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies" was of American origin, they didn't know everything but they did list Wheel of Fortune as a related broadside and from that alone it's easy to conclude that "Young Ladies" is British. I'm also confused of the two listings by Roud when clearly these are one ballad - yes the ballad almost disappeared in the UK in the 1800s- and except for Bunting's 1840 Irish fragment, I find no record of it. Greig's two versions (really one, since one is a fragment) are also clearly based on "Lady's Address" and most US versions have three stanzas directly from it.

I hope you don't have any more primary antecedents you're sitting on because that was an important find on your part- and who knows how long you've known that :) At least the info is out now and it can be used- which is all I care about- sharing info to improve understanding.

I'm done with the US headnotes for now: http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/us--canada-versions-7ua-young-ladies-.aspx

Sharp collected over 30 versions of "Young Ladies" (many in his MSS) but the most interesting version, Sharp B, he edited out two stanzas (see his MS). It's going to take some time to put all the versions on my site :)

Thanks Steve