Joseph Ritson (1752 - 1803)

Joseph Ritson

Joseph Ritson was a British antiquarian, critic, writer and editor.

He had a law degree, but preferred to study literary works. Ritson scrupulously searched for factual and other errors in authors to then publish them in his critical materials.

However, Joseph Ritson became famous as an editor of collections of ballads about Robin Hood and old folk literature. In their design they far surpassed anything that had previously appeared in the literary world, distinguished by authorial erudition and accuracy. Ritson also published collections of children's poems.