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William Harrison Ainsworth
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Image:Wh ainsworth.png Caricature from
Punch, 1881: "TO THE GREATEST AXE-AND-NECK-ROMANCER OF OUR TIME, WHO IS QUITE AT THE HEAD OF HIS PROFESSION, WE DEDICATE THIS BLOCK
AD MULTOS ANNOS! (
February 4 1805 -
January 3 1882) was an
English historical novelist. He was born in
Manchester, the son of a
solicitor. He was himself trained in the law, but 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 humour or power of delineating character.
Works
