May Day coming up. May Day is a special day for chimney sweeps. Jim. Jack-in-the-Green :)

Steve, I wrote to Dr. David Gregory, the author of that book Victorian Songhunters, and received a reply! I think I may be able to interest him in looking at the communication between Percy and Reverend Parsons. Btw, he's a lot like you Jim, "We have to be very careful..." etc. :)

But I want to point out Steve that we really can't look to Percy for Fair Margaret and Sweet William. The copy he received from Reverend Parsons has a pointed reference to Newcastle (Northumberland)(no motif). I would remind you that Percy rose up in the ranks of the clergy by bringing honor to his Northumbrian patrons. In fact, Horace Walpole complained in his diary about Percy's ambition and about being pestered by Percy to put in a good word...

Parsons claimed to have collected his ballads from all his "poor parishioners" who sang them at their spinning wheels. Personally, I think the old vicar kissed the blarney stone :)