what does it say in the Lomaxes' book?
I lost my copy in shipping all my goods and chattels to/from NZ
surely there would be an entry for Ledbelly since that's where the Lomaxes found him, collecting songs from he & his fellow inmates.
wasn't he credited as the source for "the House of the Rising Sun"
copyright documents for "Irene" might help.
Isn't the Library of Congress on line?
just a few thoughts.