"I have never knowingly argued that all version with the words St James in derive from the jazz standard. I cannot be bothered to try to work out where you go that idea from. What I have said is that versions of what became known as the jazz standard were widespread prior to the release and copyrighting by Irving Mills of that version
"

Sorry if I misunderstood, but you did say:

"anything post the Armstrong may well have been influenced by it. It may be like the story of the folklorists who went to Africa and found a chap playing blues and said This proves the blues came from Africa but it turned out the chap was a big John Lee Hooker fan and had been learning his stuff."

It still seems to me there is considerable evidence for a 'St James' strain predating Armstrong and continuing in oral tradition well into the 20th century, and that is what really interests me about this discussion. If you can accept that then we have no argument.