Although this appears to be a product of sentimental Victoriana, it may be older. As “Mary Across the Wild Moor” it was printed on many early 19th century broadsides. It is in across the Atlantic where it has really taken root, where it has been collected numerous times. It is still being picked up by revival singers and is in the repertoire of the Copper family.
Notes by Gwilym Davies 25 March 2015