The Origin of Nursery Rhymes: Mary Had A Little Lamb
Oddly enough there is considerable controversy over this subject.
There are in fact several Mary’s that lay claim to the honor of being “the Mary” of the poem. However, Henry Ford saw to it that one Mary, Mary Sawyer, of Sterling, Massachusetts got the publicity. It is quite amazing what marketing, financial backing, and determination can do for you when trying to promote your version of a tale. Ford made promoting this story a priority. It is one of the reasons Mary Sawyer is given so much credit today and why the Redstone School still stands, long after it was retired by the Sudbury Public School System. Yes, that is right a Sterling school house built in 1789 ends up being retired in 1951 in Sudbury, Massachusetts. This story is about more than just lambs and loyalty. It has a great deal to do with publicity and marketing.
The Sterling Massachusetts tale originates at the Redstone School House. Mary Sawyer is designated as the Mary of the poem and Polly Kimball is remembered as being the teacher that turned the lamb out. In some versions a tragic figure that died young, John Roulstone, is given credit for writing the first stanza of the poem. The only actual factual evidence we have regarding the poem is that Sarah Josepha Hale in was given publication rights in 1830. As to her being the first author of the lines, there seems to be no definitive proof. Just an understanding that she has the strongest legal claim with the copy writes she was granted.
For those tracing the origins of the poem it gets even trickier. Henry Ford moved the school to Sudbury, Massachusetts in 1927 to be used as a school in his new model community. He heavily promoted the tale of Mary Sawyer for its virtue and values, even publishing a book. Some visitors are confused by the change of location and the lack of clarity regarding the events. While there are a number of dates thrown around for the incident, we can be certain it was prior to 1830 because that is when the poem was published. History seems to be silent on the matter of confirming most of the events.
Sources:
Ford, Henry. The Story of Mary and Her Little Lamb and the Ford Ideals. White Fish: Kessinger Publishing, 2005.
Garfield, Curtis F. and Alison R. Ridley. The Story of the Wayside Inn As Ancient Is This Hostelry. Sudbury: Porcupine Enterprises: 1988.
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That there is controversy around the origins of this classic does not surprise me. Many of the most well known rhymes are based on long forgotten star pictures, this I have discovered for myself through years of star watching. I suspect the pictures were wiped from the common consciousness in an era - spanning centuries - when free speech was not allowed, ie by the blasphemy and heresy laws. Knowing this I think it fairly safe to say that the Mary in question ‘lived’ about 2000 yrs ago and her little Lamb was/is of heavenly origins. You can see it later in the winter in the Taurus/Orion area. If you would like more details try http://www.realstarpictures.com
Interesting story. I like to know the history of the most ordinary stuffs like nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
i was always interested in the orgins of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. This was one I had not heard. Thank you.