"Folk & the idea of Tradition is a totally modern contrivance "
This is a thoroughly stupid and ignorant statement and repeating it in the face of evidence already presented only makes it more stupid
Thom used the term in the first half of the 19th century to be applied to certain cultural aspects coming from specific communities.
In 1890, George Laurence Gomme, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and Director of the Folklore Society, in his 'The Village Community - with reference to its survivals in Britain', attempted to analyse the communities from which these traditions sprang from.
This was a recognition of a folk or traditional culture which had, previous to this, been referred to as 'peasant culture' and dated back to at least the beginning of the nineteenth century.
In 1852, William Bell wrote 'Shakespeare's Puck and his folkeslore illustrated from the superstitions of all nations'
In 1870 in Ireland, The Reverend John O'Hanlon ('Lageniesis'), published 'Irish Folk Lore, traditions and superstitions of the country.
In Wales, traditional tales were being identified as such and published in the first decade of the nineteenth century.
Whatever the shortcomings of all these researches and collections, what the idea of tradition was most certainly not was "a modern contrivance"   
Again excuse the repetition Mike - his arrogance leaves me more than a little gobsmacked too   
Jim Carroll