Howard, the Recruited Collier was accepted as a traditional song,even though it was never processed,which proves my point that songs dont have to be processed to be accepted as traditional,although I agree they often are,but is not an absolute necessity,there are other considerations.
[When Harry Cox or Walter Pardon learned a new song, they didn't go back to some original version of it and then start on their version from scratch.]quote.
not sure about Harry Cox?[does history relate] We know that Walter didnt,but I am not sure you can say that about every trad singer.
   I remember someone telling me about one of the Sussex Singers, Who had told him,he had made up the tunes to songs himself.,but it was one of them who had lots of different tunes to the accepted versions.