| Crooked Man | |
|---|---|
 From Four Color Comics #59 - Mother Goose | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
The Nursery Rhymes of England (1842) |
|
Original Publisher |
James Orchard Halliwell |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
Illustrations from the novel A Book of Nursery Rhymes.
The rhyme was first recorded in print by James Orchard Halliwell in 1842:
There was a crooked man and he went a crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile; He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse, And they all liv'd together in a little crooked house.
One legend suggests that this nursery rhyme originated in the once prosperous wool merchant's village of Lavenham, about 70 miles northeast of London, having been inspired by its multicolored half-timbered houses leaning at irregular angles as if they are supporting each other. One Lavenham house in particular, 'The Crooked House' is often cited as the inspiration for the rhyme.
Other sources state that the poem originates from British history, specifically the period of the Scottish Stuart King Charles I of England (reigned 1625–1649). The crooked man is reputed to be the Scottish General Sir Alexander Leslie, who signed a covenant securing religious and political freedom for Scotland.
The "crooked stile" in the poem was the alliance between the parliaments of England and Scotland or the border between the two, depending on the source. "They all lived together in a little crooked house" refers to the fact that the English and Scots had at last come to an agreement, despite the continuing great animosity between the two peoples, who nonetheless had to live with each other due to their common border.
Alexander Leslie is reputed to be the crooked old man.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Crooked Man from before Januray 1, 1930 are in the public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Nursery Rhymes of England (1842)
- The Adventure of the Crooked Man
- John Martin's Book, (April 1914)
- The Travels of Timmy Toodles (1916)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Four Color Comics #59, 126, 172, 201
- Bullwinkle Mother Moose Nursery Pomes #207
- Cookie #42
- Supermouse #15
- Uncle Milty #4
- Calling All Kids #8
Notes[]
- Jeremiah Witkins, also known as "the Crooked Man", is the main villain of the Hellboy story of the same name. Miser Witkins was at least partially based off the old English children's rhyme "There was a crooked man".
- In later 1997 adaptation of Babes in Toyland, Uncle Barnaby's last name is Crookedman but his surname is unknown in the original operetta.