Elianna Ruppin & Bruce: This is extremely controversial but most likely untrue. The story had been attached to the song for centuries, though. The first I ever saw to counter it's cannonicality was Lloyd in The Penguin Book of English Songs (p124) He notes it's generally reported through the generally unreliable Kidson with the 1634 marriage story. He suggests the song may actually be older. Since thin is a favorite song of mine and, as you know, one of the classic non-Child examples, I spent some time on it. Most all of the cites are lifted verbatum from previous cites, including a general failure to identify just which Spaulding first gave the civil register data and which book & volume. (Even, surprisingly, Sharp fails here.) I did dig, I tell you. Turns out to be the Trubbles of Scotland or something like that. Spaulding was not a scholar and the recording is good for the era but confused. The connection of the events cited at various places in the journal and this Craigston and this song are tenuous at best. I could dig out the exact wording if you get violent at me - I xeroxed it & put it somewhere.