'I heard a Man whistle this Tune in Magpey Lane Oxon Dbr. 22 1789. came home and noted it down directly'

John Baptist Malchair

We first learned the tune from Dave Parry, melodeon player with dance band Geckoes. He had it from a book on eighteenth century music, and I believe it was Dave who christened the tune "Magpie Lane".

I've not come across it from any other source, but the tune Murphy Delaney, although in a different time signature, would appear to be closely related.

Magpie Lane as collected by Malchair

ABC file magpie_lane.abc

MIDI file magpie_lane.mid

Murphy Delaney from Shropshire musician John Moore

ABC file murphy_delaney.mid

MIDI file murphy_delaney.mid

There's also two versions of Murphy Delaney from Wyresdale, Lancashire:

from the Winder MSS, 1789 via Richard Robinson's Tunebook

from the H.S. Jackson MSS via the Village Music Project

Oxford Ramble