Hi Jim,
On numerous occasions now you have used the phrase 'insider knowledge' to state that you don't believe the broadside writers could have had this 'insider knowledge'. I think it's time we investigated this statement in a little more detail as it seems to be a crucial standpoint of your argument. Before we look at specific songs in the English canon perhaps you would put a little more meat on the bones.

I have in front of me the MTCD set of Walter's 'Put a bit of Powder on it, Father'. CD2 is pretty much a collection of parlour songs and Music Hall, however CD1 must be those songs Walter got from his dad and his uncle who got them from their father who learnt them from broadsides (as Walter tells us). Now using this CD1 set could you perhaps tell us which of these 'folk songs' you think contain 'insider knowledge'?