''Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song-Book'' is the first extant anthology of English

nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From ...

s, published in London in

1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The Dag ...

. It contains the oldest printed texts of many well-known and popular rhymes, as well as several that eventually dropped out of the canon of rhymes for children. A copy is held in the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

. In 2013 a facsimile edition with an introduction by Andrea Immel and Brian Alderson was published by the Cotsen Occasional Press.

Publication

With the full title of ''Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book Voll.'' ic''II'', this was a sequel to the now lost ''

Tommy Thumb's Song Book ''Tommy Thumb's Song Book'' is the earliest known collection of British nursery rhymes, printed in 1744. No original copy has survived, but its content has been recovered from later reprints. It contained many rhymes that are still well known. ...

'', published in London by Mary Cooper in 1744. For many years, it was thought that there was only a single copy in existence, now in the

, but in 2001 another copy appeared and was sold for £45,000. As a result, this is the oldest printed collection of English nursery rhymes that is available.

Henry Carey Henry Carey may refer to: * Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1526–1596), politician, general, and potential illegitimate son of Henry VIII *Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover (1580–1666), English peer * Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth (1596–1661 ...

's 1725 satire on

Ambrose Philips Ambrose Philips (167418 June 1749) was an English poet and politician. He feuded with other poets of his time, resulting in Henry Carey bestowing the nickname " Namby-Pamby" upon him, which came to mean affected, weak, and maudlin speech or ver ...

Namby Pamby Namby-pamby is a term for affected, weak, and maudlin speech/verse. It originates from ''Namby Pamby'' (1725) by Henry Carey. Carey wrote his poem as a satire of Ambrose Philips and published it in his ''Poems on Several Occasions''. Its first ...

, quotes or alludes to some half-dozen or so nursery rhymes.H. Carpenter and M. Prichard, ''

The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature ''The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature'' is a reference work first published in 1984, with its most recent edition in 2015. The Oxford Companions is a book series providing general knowledge within a specific area, in this case, children ...

'' (Oxford University Press, 1984), pp. 533–4. The rhymes and illustrations were printed from copper plates, the text being stamped with punches into the plates, a technique borrowed from map and music printing. It is 3×1 inches and it is printed in alternate openings in red and black ink.

The book contains forty nursery rhymes, many of which are still popular, including; *

Baa Baa Black Sheep "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" is an English nursery rhyme, the earliest printed version of which dates from around 1744. The words have not changed very much in two and a half centuries. It is sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody ''Ah! vous dira ...

Girls and Boys Come Out To Play "Girls and Boys Come Out to Play" or "Boys and Girls Come Out to Play" is a nursery rhyme that has existed since at least 1708. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 5452. Lyrics The most common versions of the rhyme are very similar to that ...

Hickory Dickory Dock "Hickory Dickory Dock" or "Hickety Dickety Dock" is a popular English-language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6489. Lyrics and music The most common modern version is: Hickory dickory dock. The mouse ran up the clock. ...

Ladybird Ladybird "Ladybird! Ladybird!" is the first line of an English-language nursery rhyme that also has German analogues. It is included in the Roud Folk Song Index as number of 16215. The rhyme This traditional verse relates to Coccinellidae, ladybirds, ...

Little Robin Redbreast ‘Little Robin Redbreast’ is an English language nursery rhyme, chiefly notable as evidence of the way traditional rhymes are changed and edited. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20612. Lyrics This rhyme is one of the most varied ...

Little Tommy Tucker "Little Tommy Tucker" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19618. Lyrics Common modern versions include: :Little Tommy Tucker ::Sings for his supper. :What shall we give him? ::White bread and butter. ...

London Bridge is Falling Down "London Bridge Is Falling Down" (also known as "My Fair Lady" or "London Bridge") is a traditional English nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It deals with the dilapidation of London Bridg ...

Mary Mary Quite Contrary "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is an English nursery rhyme. The rhyme has been seen as having religious and historical significance, but its origins and meaning are disputed. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19626. Lyrics The most common ...

Oranges and Lemons "Oranges and Lemons" is a traditional English nursery rhyme, folksong, and singing game which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as No 13190. The earlie ...

Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross "Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross" is an English language nursery rhyme connected with the English town Banbury in Oxfordshire. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 21143. Lyrics Common modern versions include: Ride a cock-horse to Ba ...

Sing a Song of Sixpence "Sing a Song of Sixpence" is an English nursery rhyme, perhaps originating in the 18th century. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 13191. The sixpence in the rhyme is a British coin that was first minted in 1551. Origins The r ...

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived Under a Hill "There was an old woman lived under a hill" is a nursery rhyme which dates back to at least its first known printing in 1714. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 797. Lyrics :There was an old woman lived under the hill, :And if she's not ...

* Who Killed Cock Robin? There are also a number of less familiar rhymes, some of which were probably unsuitable for later sensibilities, including: : Piss a Bed, : Piss a Bed, : Barley Butt, : Your Bum is so heavy, : You can't get up. Some nursery rhymes turn up in disguise: : The Moon shines Bright, : The Stars give a light, : And you may kiss : A pretty girl : At ten a clock at night. This is an earlier version of: : When I was a little boy :: My mammy kept me in, : Now I am a great boy, :: I'm fit to serve the king. : I can handle a musket, :: And I can smoke a pipe. : And I can kiss a pretty girl :: At twelve o'clock at night.William S. Baring-Gould and Ceil Baring-Gould, ''The Annotated Mother Goose'', pp. 24–43.

References

External links

''Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book''
at the

Lina Eckstein, ''Comparative Studies in Nursery Rhymes'', p. 7
{{authoritycontrol British books 1744 books Collections of nursery rhymes

Publication

Contents

References

External links