Person    | Male  Born 2/10/1752  Died 23/9/1803

Joseph Ritson, FSA

Categories: History, Literature

Joseph Ritson, FSA

Literary antiquarian. Born Co. Durham. Trained as a lawyer and from 1780 had chambers in Gray's Inn where he specialised in conveyancing.

Odd in a number of ways: aged 20 converted to vegetarianism after reading Bernard de Mandeville's "The Fable of the Bees", 2 years later he lost a wife (married in Newcastle and then moved to London without her and never mentioned her again), used an unusual and erratic phonic spelling system.

His criticism of other writers' literary analysis was often vicious and personal but he also exposed a number of forgeries. His final years were troubled with financial difficulties and madness. He locked himself in his Gray's Inn chambers, burnt manuscripts and threatened visitors with violence, telling them he was "writing a pamphlet proving Jesus Christ an impostor". He was removed by force and taken to the home of Sir Jonathan Miles at Hoxton, where he died 2 weeks later. Buried in Bunhill burial ground.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Joseph Ritson, FSA

Commemorated ati

Bunhill burial ground - 2

In this ground are the vaults of {see the Subjects commemorated for the list ...

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Friends of the Forgotten Irish

Friends of the Forgotten Irish

The Irish Post has a photo of a similar plaque erected by this group in Dublin.

Group, Community / Clubs, History, Ireland

1 memorial
Werner Robert Valentin Picht

Werner Robert Valentin Picht

German sociologist. An early historian of English settlements. Published 'Toynbee Hall and the English Settlement Movement' in 1913. Werner Robert Valentin Picht was born on 28 September 1887 in B...

Person, History, Social Welfare, Germany

1 memorial
Wandsworth Society

Wandsworth Society

A community group with the aim of safeguarding the character, quality and integrity of the environment around Wandsworth.

Group, Community / Clubs, History

1 memorial
Battlefields Trust

Battlefields Trust

Founded to preserve the battle sites of Britain. The founding motivation was the fact that the battlefield of Naseby, (a perfectly preserved site of the battle of the English Civil War), was to be ...

Group, Armed Forces, History

1 memorial
Greg Callus

Greg Callus

One of a list of 26 researchers involved in researching Hester Leggatt's background.

Person, History

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Croydon Road Recreation Ground

Croydon Road Recreation Ground

The land was purchased by the Beckenham Local Board to provide a public open space which had been lacking since the loss of the Fair Field for housing in the 1870s. The site was part of open farmla...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Transport

1 memorial
Fourt-Wells + Stocking

Fourt-Wells + Stocking

EC1, Grand Avenue, Smithfield Market

To mark the 60th anniversary of the fire this plaque was unveiled, on one of those temporary easel things (looks like a flip-board stand ...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator