Airymouse, a few of those songs sound VERY familiar:

State of Arkansas. Oh my name is Sanford O'Brien and I come from Rockford town

I know that with the first verse as . . .
"Myyy name is Charley Brannon,
From Charleston I come.
I've traveled this wide world over
Some ups and downs I've had
I've traveled this wide world over
Some ups and downs I've saw,
But I never knew what mis'ry was
Till I hit old Arkansas."

I learned The State of Arkansas in the 50's from an LP by performed by Pete Seeger, Woodie Guthrie, and two others whose names escape me at the moment. I'm not sure, but I think that at least one of those unremembered singers later were part of The Weavers. The LP was
a reissue of two earlier 33's.

and

There was a wealthy merchant,
in London he did dwell.
He had a lovely daughter, the story I will tell. . .

Richard Dyer-Bennet recorded (more than once, I think) a song which
started like this:

"There was a wealthy merchant
In London he did dwell.
He had a pretty woman
The tailor loved her well.
With a rawdy tawdy tawdy
A rawdy tawdy tee"

and then there is

Oh where are you going my pretty fair maid (2)
I'm going to milking sir she said

A well-known shanty includes the following, after
the singer-narrator meets a pretty fair maid:

"Oh where are you going, my pretty fair maid?
I unto her did say.
Heave away, my jolly lads
We're all bound away
I'm going a-milking, sir, she said,
All in the month of May.
Heave away my jolly lads
We're all bound away."

After he finds that she has no fortune to bring to
a new husband, he says,

"Then I cannot marry you, my pretty maid,
I unto her did say.
Heave away, my jolly lads,
We're all bound away.
Nobody asked you, sir, she said,
All in the month of May,
Heave away my jolly lads
We're all bound away."

I think I can come up with the singer of that one, and with the titles of the respective LPs, maybe the labels and the years.
If I can find those, I'll post them a little later.

Dave Oesterreich