History of Nursery Rhymes

The first collection of nursery rhymes was printed in a book called Tommy Thumb's Song Book in 1744.

Many of our traditional nursery rhymes are not nursery rhymes at all but are nonsensical rhymes to amuse children. Many of them, however, have sinister backstories which are far from child-friendly.

Dating from as early on as the Viking period in England, some are records of political and religious upheaval. Others explore aspects of daily life, scandals, and gossip.