Robyn wrote:
It's times like this when I remember, and miss, Malcolm Douglas.
He knew the Roud index better than anyone I know!

we all miss Malcolm Douglas, but I suggest that Steve Roud probably knows the Roud index better than anyone does or ever did.

I think the index grew like Topsy.... new songs get added, with new Roud numbers, as time progresses, not in any other systematic way. See the recent Bill Smith CD on Mustrad ... a lot of new and consecutive Roud numbers for songs from the music hall etc that had previously not been recorded or noted orally.

Derek