I like the idea of Barbara Villiers being our girl. 2 folk songs still on the go today are about George (her brother?) Dido Bendigo and Swarthfell Rocks, both evolved from The Duke's Hunt, the duke being George Villiers and the hunt being The Bilsdale, England's oldest hunt.

However my own theory is that Mrs Knipp's pretty Scotch song was the version that starts 'It was in and about the Martinmas time' and I agree with Malcolm probably the original. The Scarlet/Reading town version I think was a later burlesque on this, and as Malcolm said, all part of the London luvvies scene.