"So how did they clean these big wide chimneys in those big old houses then, Jim?"
Been there - done that - they "footed and backed" their way up as described in the links you were given - chimneys narrowed and bent as soon as they rose above the level of the fireplaces - diagrams included in links. Where the tops were unreachable the child was lowered by rope from the roof - Mayhew, the history of chimney sweeps and the wiki link all point this out. This was also was described in the Kingsley novel you dismissed so offhandedly - the author was a Christian Socialist who campaigned on childrens' issues and The Water Babies was part of the campaign.
You really are twisting on this one Steve; if you have any evidence of ladders or climbing bricks produce it - otherwise leave it - you are beginning to be both insulting and embarrassing
Point I missed earlier
"moved the goalposts over to including the Child Ballads"
Now you are just lying Steve. Our first argument was about The Cruel Mother - I was attracted by your sneery and dismissive tone, I was told by you that it was produced by a hack.
You did the same with 'The Demon Lover' where you stated that most of the ballads originated in print.
You asked did anybody take Lord Lovell seriously - back once again to the ballads.
You never claimed any limitation when I mentioned David Fowler - again ballads.
When I gave you the broken token songs you offered to substantiate your claims by going back to the 18th century
When I pointed out that you couldn't possibly have compared broadside texts because our knowledge of the oral repertoire only goes as far as the end of the 19th century, you brushed that aside and continued to insist that your 90odd% figure was right - no mention of only restricting yourself to the Sharp and co material - that became an addition by you at a very late stage.
Now go away and get your story straight.
Jim Carroll