I have seen it stated somewhere (cannot off hand remember exactly where) that possibly the inclusion of the kitchen boy and the parlour boy as fathers to some of the children, may be the equivalents of "There was two o' them buried by the kitchen fire / ... /Two more o' them buried by the stable door" of the longer John Reilly version, in other words locations have become confused with persons, or the other way round. Just a thought.

- Tony