'The discussion here appears to be based on the established belief that the printed versions of these ballads are autoomatically the earliest.'
Not quite, Jim. We're simply expressing opinions based on looking at many many examples.

'our knowledge of the oral tradition dates back only to the end of the nineteenth century'
Again, not quite. I've seen many examples on older printed broadsides of items that have obviously come from oral tradition. However, that doesn't stop me from believing that even in these cases the original first appeared on a broadside.

'song making by the unlettered and uneducated is, like 'the Rose-red city of Petra - half as old as time itself' and certainly predated literacy by yonks.
I completely agree with you here, Jim. I just don't believe that what was floating around in oral tradition in the 17thc is the same stuff that is floating around now or even in the 19th or 20th centuries, by and large. You can believe what you like.

Happy whatsits to you as well,
Steve