This is Lloyd's note to the song from the first edition of 'Come All you Bold Miners - quite unequivocal and perfectly understandable and logical

THE COAL-OWNER AND THE PITMAN’S WIFE. Text communicated by J. S. Bell, of Whiston, Lancs, and reprinted by permission of the Editor of 'Coal'. Mr Bell believes that this ballad, which appears to date from the 1844 Durham Strike, was written by William Hornsby, a collier of Shotton Moor. The tune and a fragment of the text was communicated by jim Denison, of Walker.

We appear to have a song written by a collier and still being sung (in part) a century later - a folk song made by a working man - 'Heaven forfend'!!!
If that is not an example of folk composition unpolluted by commerciality, I honestly don't know what it
It certainly lets Bert off the hook
Jim