Hi Steve,

Regarding your question. Yes, the American versions have combined identifiers and ballad types, making categorizing some of them impossible.

"Pretty Polly" is identified with the English broadsides but in America the name is a floating name found in Scottish versions. The Scottish "He followed her" :

He followd her butt, he followd her benn,
He followd her through the hall,
Till she had neither tongue nor teeth
Nor lips to say him naw. [May Collin, Child H, c. 1780]

is common in America and should show a Scottish origin but it too is sometimes a floating stanza. Many American versions are missing the opening- what is significant is the Outlandish Knight opening is extremely rare in America which means:

The Outlandish Knight was not the early source for the ballad in America and was not brought over by the early settlers. So the Outlandish Knight is a secondary ballad.

Richie