MGM: Regarding the Brown Girl title- it's used as a title in approximately 25% of the North American versions of Lord Thomas.

Regarding the The Brown Girl; Child 295- it completely different however the stigma attached to being brown is the same. Steve has dome research on the ballad and has uncovered and earlier broadside, The Cruel Nymph, not known by Child.

As far as I can tell Child 295 is been changed to "Sally and her True love Billie" "Rich Irish Lady" and "Sailor from Dover" because Child B from Baring-Gould had stanzas of this ballad in his version (which may or may not be authentic).

I know of only one version of 295 in the US- it's titled "The Bonny Brown Girl" and is traditional in West Virginia. this version and Baring-Gould's are the only two in existence (if they are authentic).

Richie