Paul Burke wrote: Are there any pre- 60's "source" recordings (wax cylinder? tape? ancient pottery*?) of Wo'W?

There are several, though they aren't easy to get. One of Peacock's Newfoundland tunes is on the CD-ROM auxiliary to Peacock's books -- "John Barbour," recorded by Everett Bennet. Anita Best and Pamela Morgan recorded "Johnny Barbour," the Genevieve Lehr version. And Robert Cinnamond apparently supplied two versions, "There Was a Lady Lived in the West" and "John Barlow."

All of Bronson's versions were from manuscript, not field recordings.