Returning to the question of the Watersons' version:

Oh the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom
The broom of Cowdenknowes
Fain would I be in the north country
To milk my daddy's ewes.

All the maids that ever were deceived
Bear part of these my woes
For once I was a bonny lass
When I milked my daddy's ewes.

Oh the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom
The broom of Cowdenknowes
Fain would I be in the north country
To milk my daddy's ewes.

The first and third verses are pretty standard, but the second isn't in most versions and appears to come from The lovely Northerne lasse (Roud V20510, printed by Child as an appendix to 217).

I would be very interested to know where their version comes from. The sleeve notes to New Voices (Topic 12T125 1965) and the reissue on Early Days (Topic TSCD472 1994) are by Bert Lloyd and talk about the seventeenth and eighteenth century sightings of the tune, but say nothing about the origin of their version.

Earlier in this thread it is suggested that the version is from East Yorkshire -- can anybody provide confirmation and references?