Glyn Barnes
Thanks for the replies, As far as I can tell they are public domain. It probably won't be much of an issue anyway as I doubt the track will reach much of an audience but if it turns out really well I thought about selling it for donations to the RNLI (UK lifeboat charity).

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In the UK PRS/MCPS are the people to talk to about copyright and licewnsing. Bear in mind a work being out of copyright doesn't mean you might not need an MCPS license to release it in recorded, download or broadcast form. That includes your own stuff, by the way.

If you're an arranger or writer PRS/MCPS can be worth joining, even if "arranging" means playing your own version of an old blues song. Amongst other things, if you play in a PRS licensed venue (and outside private parties all places that put on music should be) you can even make a claim from PRS for performance royalties for performing your own material. It's not much per song or gig, but it's there for the taking if you're entitled to it.

Membership also makes it much harder for someone to record a song of yours and credit it to themselves or "traditional"/"anon".