Blimey. Not only does French give us the aforesaid two tunes for Mr James Boswell and Mrs Boswell of Auchinleck, I see there's also a Mr Boswell of Auchinleck's Reel and a Miss Boswell's Reel. Wait hours for a bus and then four come along at once...

Not sure what to make of this - the Auchinleck Boswells are the right family at the right time. Perhaps some local muso was trying to curry favour with them by immortalising them in melody?

Thanks for the good suggestions, everybody. Matthew, can you tell me any more about "Cut Him Down, Susie" (cut him down from where, I darkly wonder)? I don't have either of the books you mention, and a cursory Googleabout yields nothing illuminating. Do you happen to know if JB fit words to an existing trad tune, as people often did, and if so, which one it was? I'm certainly interested to know of any songs he wrote, particularly the airs used for them.