All very interesting DannyC, but different versions of the song don't have those elements, and some have none. The names change, the places change, I dare say that somewhere there's even a version with a happy ending. Tthe Child version (1658) doesn't have it happening on the first holy day, just one of many.

It's all a bit Platonic- what is the substance and what is accident?

And as for place, as I pointed out a long time ago in another thread, the only part of England, Scotland or Wales I've found (after much searching) where there's a group of placenames with the double toponymic formation of "Bucklesfordbery" is a radius of about 5 miles around Hertford (20 miles north of London).