William Harrison Ainsworth
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William Harrison Ainsworth (4 February 1805 – 3 January 1882) was an English historical novelist born in Manchester. He trained as a lawyer, but the legal profession had no attraction for him. While completing his legal studies in London he met the publisher John Ebers, at that time manager of the King's Theatre, Haymarket. Bears introduced Ainsworth to literary and dramatic circles, and to his daughter, who became Ainsworth's wife.
Ainsworth briefly tried the publishing business, but soon gave it up and devoted himself to journalism and literature. His first success as a writer came with Rookwood in 1834, which features Dick Turpin as its leading character. A stream of 39 novels followed, the last appearing in 1881. Ainsworth died in Reigate on 3 January 1882.
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[edit] Early life
Ainsworth was born at 21 King Street, Manchester, on 4 February 1805, the elder of two sons of Thomas Ainsworth (1778–1824), a solicitor, and his wife, Ann (1778–1842). He was taught privately until the age of twelve, after which he attended the Manchester Free Grammar School from 1817 to 1822. In 1821, while still at school, he produced his first known published work, The Rivals: a Serio-Comic Tragedy, under the pseudonym of T. Hall.[1]
[edit] Works
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Goldfarb, Sheldon (2004), "Ainsworth, William Harrison (1805–1882)" (subscription required), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/243, retrieved on 22 July 2008
[edit] Further reading
- Bleiler, Everett (1948), The Checklist of Fantastic Literature, Chicago: Shasta Publishers
- Carver, Stephen (2003), The Life and Works of the Lancashire Novelist William Harrison Ainsworth 1805–1882, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, ISBN 0-7734-6633-9
[edit] External links
- Works by William Harrison Ainsworth at Project Gutenberg Australia
- Biography of Ainsworth at the Literary Encyclopedia
- This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J. M. Dent & sons; New York, E. P. Dutton.
- Text of Auriol, also known as The Elixir Of Life
- List of web links and list of works by Ainsworth
- Archival material relating to William Harrison Ainsworth listed at the UK National Register of Archives
