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William Harrison Ainsworth - Book Web |
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 William Harrison Ainsworth (February 4, 1805 - January 3, 1882) was an English historical novelist. He was born in Manchester, the son of a solicitor. He went to the Manchester Grammar School before becoming trained in the law. However the legal profession had no attraction for him, and going to London to complete his studies he made the acquaintance of John Ebers, publisher, and at that time manager of the Opera House, by whom he was introduced to literary and dramatic circles, and whose daughter he afterwards married. For a short time he tried the publishing business, but soon gave it up and devoted himself to journalism and literature his first success as a writer of romance being scored with Rookwood in 1834, of which Dick Turpin is the leading character; and thenceforward he continued to pour forth till 1881 a stream of novels, to the number of 39. Tower of London was his fourth work, and, according to Ainsworth himself, it was written chiefly with the aim of interesting his fellow-countrymen in the historical associations of the Tower. Ainsworth died in Reigate on January 3, 1882.
Ainsworth depends for his effects on striking situations and powerful descriptions: he has little
humor or power of delineating character.
Works- Rookwood (1834)
- The Admirable Crichton (1837)
- Jack Sheppard, available at Project Gutenberg. (1839)
- The Tower of London (1840)
- Old St Paul's, available at Project Gutenberg. (1841)
- Windsor Castle, available at Project Gutenberg. (1843)
- The Lancashire Witches, available at Project Gutenberg. (1849)
- Guy Fawkes (1842)
- The Star Chamber, vol. 1, available at Project Gutenberg.; The Star Chamber, vol. 2, available at Project Gutenberg. (1842)
- The Flitch of Bacon (1842)
- The Miser's Daughter (1842)
- Auriol (1844)
- Ovingdean Grange: a tale of the South Downs (1860)
- The Constable of the Tower (1861)
- Preston Fight or The Insurrection of 1715 (1875)
- Chetwynd Calverley, A Tale (1876)
- Mervyn Clitheroe (1898)
Dick Turpin
Richard (Dick) Turpin (born September 21, 1705 in Hempstead, Essex – died April 7, 1739 in York) is a legendary English rogue and the most famous historical highwayman. In life Richard Turpin was a violent man who committed offences such as deer stealing, burglary, highway robbery, and probably murder. He was executed in York. After his death, as “Dick” Turpin, he became the subject of legend,
romanticized in English ballads and popular theatre of the 18th and 19th century, and later in film and television of the 20th century, as the dashing and heroic highwayman. There is considerable divergence between the history and legend of Turpin.
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