A West African chant, you say?

Hmm.

Well why not suggest that West African chant as the origin for
"Ring Around The Rosie"?

It's as good a suggestion as the plague one that keeps on being offerred as fact. Black Britons, those who had been enslaved or freed or born free prior to whenever Great Britain emancipated African slaves seem to have disappeared, melted into the population, and/or mixed into the population without any traces and without any mention whatsoever of any contribution to British vocal or musical traditions or any other traditions. What's up with that?

I contend that those Black Britons must have had some influence upon early British song and instrumental music traditions, and other folk customs as well. Maybe the tune and words of the "Ring Around The Rosie" song did come from them or from their African ancestors.

And maybe not.

[This is partly snark, but not wholey.]