Joseph Ritson

Born on October 2, 1752, at Stockton-on-Tees, Joseph Ritson was educated for the law and later settled in London as a conveyancer. Alongside his legal work, he devoted himself to antiquarian research and built a reputation as a careful, combative scholar with a deep interest in early English literature and popular tradition.

Ritson is especially remembered for collecting and editing old songs, romances, and historical texts. His work on English ballads and on the Robin Hood legends helped preserve material that might otherwise have been lost, and later writers and folklorists continued to draw on the collections he assembled.

He died on September 23, 1803. Although his manner was often described as severe and argumentative, his dedication to accuracy and original sources made him an important figure in the study of folklore, balladry, and literary history.