Before we leave Child 3, that MacSweeney version from Dublin is quite close textually to the Coates and the Gentry versions, though it omits land/staff and sea/boat.

Coates and Gentry are in fact strikingly similar textually. That does suggest some shared history, so perhaps this wasn't one of the ballads that Jane G brought with her from Watauga Co.

None of them have sheep or cows with blue (or no) tails. Is this a feature of Scots texts only? I haven't had time to check them all so far.

Thanks again Richie for making such a comprehensive list.