12 Facts About Joseph Ritson

Joseph Ritson was an English antiquary who is well known for editing the first scholarly collection of Robin Hood ballads.

Joseph Ritson is known for his collections of English nursery rhymes, such as "Roses Are Red" and "Little Bo-Peep", in Gammer Gurton's Garland or The Nursery Parnassus, published in London by Joseph Johnson.

Joseph Ritson was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, of a Westmorland yeoman family.

Joseph Ritson was educated for the law, mainly by Ralph Bradley the leading conveyancer.

Joseph Ritson then settled in London as a conveyancer at 22.

Joseph Ritson devoted his spare time to literature, and in 1782, he published an attack on Thomas Warton's History of English Poetry.

In nearly all the small points with which he dealt, Ritson was in the right, and his corrections have since been adopted, but the unjustly bitter language of his criticisms roused great anger at the time, much, it would appear, to Ritson's delight.

Joseph Ritson usually spared no pains himself to ensure accuracy in the texts of old songs, ballads and metrical romances which he edited.

When Joseph Ritson was asked who gave Robin Hood a commission to rob from the rich and give to the poor, his response was:.

Joseph Ritson became a vegetarian in 1772 after reading Bernard Mandeville's The Fable of the Bees and adopted a diet that was based on vegetables and milk.

Joseph Ritson's ideas were criticized in his day, but were influential to many vegetarians who came after him.

Joseph Ritson has been described as a pioneer of animal rights.