Roses are red…

The Rest of the Story

"Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you."

The most-famous version of the phrase was penned by Joseph Ritson (1752-1803), an English antiquary. His collection of English nursery rhymes was published as Gammer Gurton's Garland or the Nursery Parnassus, in London by Joseph Johnson.

Ritson's crowning accomplishment was the first authoritative collection of the Robin Hood Ballads. A meticulous if eccentric fellow, Sir Walter Scott called him "a man of acute observation, profound research, and great labour." He developed a system of reformed spelling and was a vegetarian activist. His diet as recorded in his journals included muffins, cake, cheese, bread, butter, milk, beer and ale.

Ritson showed signs of mental instability as early as 1796. In September 1803, he barricaded himself in his chambers at Gray's Inn, made a bonfire of his manuscripts, and was forcibly removed to Hoxton, where he died.

Want to know more?

Send us a note and we'll mail a copy to you!