Research

Nursery Rhymes

Ring o Rosies
Ring­a­ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A­tishoo! A­tishoo!
We all fall down.

Origin:
Black Death - the bubonic plague that spread through Europe in the 1340s, or to the Great Plague of London, 1665/6. 

It is Thought that the Nursary rhyme means:

Ring­a­ring o' roses, 

meant the red rash symptoms which were often rings found on the infected.

A pocket full of posies,

Posies and nice smelling herbs were taken around by all as they were thought to protect from the supposed airborne infection.
A­tishoo! A­tishoo! / ashes! ashes!
the sneezing of infected / the cremation of the dead.

We all fall down.

fell down dead.

The idea is usually deemed false due to:

It wasn't published until 1881.The 'atishoo, atishoo, all fall down' lyric isn't present in many of the the numerous versions. Neither soreness about the mouth nor sneezing tally with the actual symptoms of people suffering from bubonic plague. The plague theory didn't appear until the 1950s

Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again

Origin:
Humpty Dumpty was a large cannon used during the English Civil War 1642 - 1649 in Colchester (13 Jun 1648 - 27 Aug 1648). Colchester was strongly fortified by the Royalists and was laid to siege by the Parliamentarians. In 1648 the town of Colchester was a walled town with a castle and several churches and was protected by the city wall. A huge cannon, colloquially called Humpty Dumpty, was strategically placed on the wall. A shot from a Parliamentary cannon damaged the wall beneath Humpty Dumpty which caused the cannon to tumble to the ground. The Royalists, or Cavaliers, 'all the King's men' attempted to raise Humpty Dumpty on to another part of the wall. However, because the cannon , or Humpty Dumpty, was so heavy ' All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty together again!' This had a drastic consequence for the Royalists, the town of Colchester fell to the Parliamentarians after a siege lasting eleven weeks.


The imagery of Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty was a colloquial term used in fifteenth century England describing someone who was obese. 

Little Miss Muffet
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey,
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.


Origin:
This nursery rhyme is based on a little girl named Patience Muffet. Her stepfather, Dr. Thomas Muffet was a famous entomologist who wrote the first scientific catalog of British Insects. 
One morning whilst eating her breakfast of curds and whey Little Miss Muffet was frightened by one of his spiders and ran away.
This particular Nursery Rhyme of Little Miss Muffet dates back to the late 16th century.

Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Origin:

Jack and Jill are said to be King Louis XVI; Jack who was beheaded "lost his crown" followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette; Jill  "who came tumbling after". 
The words to the Jack and Jill poem were made more acceptable as a story for children by providing a happy ending! 
The beheadings occurred in during the Reign of Terror in 1793.The first publication date for the lyrics of Jack and Jill rhyme is 1795, which goes with the history and origins. 

Orange and Lemons

"Oranges and lemons" say the Bells of St. Clement's
"You owe me five farthings" say the Bells of St. Martin's
"When will you pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch
"When will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney
"I do not know" say the Great Bells of Bow
"Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed
Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head
Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead."


Origin:

The date of origin is unknown 
it  is believed to be a Square Dance from around the year 1665 called 'Oranges and Lemons'.There are no known records of the lyrics that go with dance but is likely that the words were similar to that of the nursery rhyme. The words of the nursery rhyme are chanted by children as they play the game/dance of 'Oranges and lemons' the end of which a child being caught between the joined arms of two others and the act of chopping off their head is portrayed.This is from the words of the poem, which talks about the unfortunate victim who would await execution on 'Death Row' ,Victims would be informed by the Execution Bell from The Church of St. Sepulchre the Sunday prior to execution and they would get recited the following :

All you that in the condemned hole do lie, 

Prepare you for tomorrow you shall die; 

Watch all and pray: the hour is drawing near 

That you before the Almighty must appear; 

Examine well yourselves in time repent, 

That you may not to eternal flames be sent. 

And when St. Sepulchre's Bell in the morning tolls 

The Lord above have mercy on your soul.

The executions commenced at nine o'clock Monday morning following the first toll of the tenor bell.