The Dalesmans Litany is from the collection of dialect poems in The Songs of The Riddings. It however came ito the folk domain via Dennis Sabey and Dave Keddy then members of The Topic Folk Club in Bradford. The story is that both Dennis and dave were researching dialect poems seperatly and without the other knowing. They both came up with The Dalesmans litany but each with a tune of their own. Dennis decided he prefered Dave's tune to is and so sang it thus. Dennis used to sing more down at The Topic than Dave so the song got more airings from Dennis than Dave. It was picked up from Dennis by Christy Moore, Roy Bailey and Tim Hart and Maddy Prior from their hearing Dennis singing it got the words and tune from him and you can find credits from these people on their Lps thought you have to find the first issue of Songs of England by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior for this Dave Burland also got his version from Dennis Sabey which is on his Lp Dalesmans Litany but without a credit though Dave Burland tells me it was an oversite and not deliberate. Dave Keddy passed away a few yers ago now and I would think he is owed royalties for the tune or at least his surviving family should. Hope this helps