William Harrison Ainsworth Books In Order

Novels

Rookwood (1834)
Admirable Crichton (1837)
Jack Sheppard (1839)
The Tower of London (1840)
Guy Fawkes (1841)
Old St.Paul’s (1841)
The Miser’s Daughter (1842)
Windsor Castle (1843)
The Fall of Somerset (1844)
Saint James’s (1844)
Auriol (1845)
The Lancashire Witches (1849)
The Star-Chamber (1853)
The Flitch of Bacon (1854)
The Spendthrift (1857)
Ovingdean Grange (1860)
The Constable of the Tower (1861)
Cardinal Pole (1862)
The Lord Mayor of London (1862)
Old Court (1866)
Myddleton Pomfret (1867)
Hilary St. Ives (1869)
Talbot Harland (1870)
Boscobel (1872)
Manchester Rebels of the Fatal ’45 (1873)
Preston Fight (1875)
The Leaguer of Lathom (1876)
Beau Nash (1879)
Stanley Brereton (1881)

Novels Book Covers

William Harrison Ainsworth Books Overview

Rookwood

qGives a vivid picture of the times and places with which he dealt.q The New York Herald.

In London Labour and the London Poor 1861 Henry Mayhew wrote, ‘Of all books, perhaps none has ever had so baneful effect upon the young mind, taste, and principles’ as Jack Sheppard. An historical novel based on the exploits of John Sheppard, a thief who was executed in 1724, Jack Sheppard was blamed for inciting working class crime and vagrancy for decades after its 1839 publication. The fast paced narrative of Sheppard’s repeated prison escapes and his struggles against the evil thief catcher Jonathan Wild was immensely popular, as well as controversial, in its own time, and is now available for the first time in a fully annotated edition. This Broadview edition includes the original George Cruikshank illustrations, as well as a rich selection of contemporary reviews of the novel and material on the historical Jack Sheppard, Victorian urban street culture, and the novel’s popular theatrical adaptations.

The Tower of London

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www. million books. com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: in. OF THE THREE GIANTS OF THE TOTTEH, OB, GOG, AND MAGOG ; OT XIT, THE D1VARF ; OF THE FAIR CICELY; OF PETER TRUSBCT, THE PANTLER, AND FOTENTIA HIS WIFE ; OF HAIRCN THE BEARWARD, RIBALD THE WARDER, MACGEH THE HEADSMAN, AND NIGHTGALL THE JAILOR: AND OF THE PLEASANT PASTIME HELD IN THE STONE KITCHEN. / C0THBEBT Cholmondelby, it may be remembered, was greatly struck by a beautiful damsel, whom he discovered among the crowd during the ceremonial at the Gate Tower; and, as faithful chroniclers, we are bound to state that the impression was mutual, and that if he was charmed with the lady, she was not less pleased with him. Notwithstanding her downcast looks, the young esquire was not so inexperienced in feminine arts as to be unconscious of the conquest te had made. During the halt at the gate, he never withdrew his eyes from her for a single moment, and when he was reluctantly compelled to move forward with the procession, he cast many a lingering look behind. As the distance lengthened between them, the courage of the damsel seemed to revive; she raised her head, and before her admirer had reached the extremity of the lofty wall masking the lieutenant’s lodgings, he perceived her gazing fixedly after him. She held by the hand a little curly haired boy, whom Cholmon deley concluded must be her brother, and he was perplexing himself as to her rank, for though her beauty was of the highest order, and her lineaments such as might well belong to one of high birth, her attire seemed to bespeak her of no exalted condition, when an incident occurred, which changed the tenour of his thoughts, and occasioned him not a little uneasiness. While she remained with her eyes fixed upon him, a tall man in a dark dress rushed, with furious gestures and an inflamed countenance, out of the gat…

Guy Fawkes

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Old St.Paul’s

THE PESTILENCE Towards the middle of May, the bills of mortality began to swell greatly in amount, and though but few were put down to the plague, and a large number to the spotted fever another frightful disorder raging at the period, it is well known that the bulk had died of the former disease. The rigorous measures adopted by the authorities whether salutary or not has been questioned, in shutting up houses and confining the sick and sound within them for forty days, were found so intolerable, that most persons were disposed to run any risk rather than be subjected to such a grievance, and every artifice was resorted to for concealing a case when it occurred. Hence, it seldom happened, unless by accident, that a discovery was made. Quack doctors were secretly consulted, instead of the regular practitioners; the searchers were bribed to silence; and large fees were given to the undertakers and buriers to lay the deaths to the account of some other disorder. All this, however, did not blind the eyes of the officers to the real state of things. Redoubling their vigilance, they entered houses on mere suspicion; inflicted punishments where they found their orders disobeyed or neglected; sent the sound to prison, the sick to the pest house; and replaced the faithless searchers by others upon whom they could place reliance. Many cases were thus detected; but in spite of every precaution, the majority escaped; and the vent was no sooner stopped in one quarter than it broke out with additional violence in another.

Windsor Castle

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www. million books. com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ‘ Heed not what the villain says, my good fellow,’ said the Duke of Shoreditch; ‘you have captured him bravely, and I will take care your conduct is duly reported to his majesty. To the castle with him! To the castle! He will Iodize to night in the deepest dungeon of yon fortification,’ pointing to the Curfew Tower above them, ‘ there to await the king’s judgment ; and to morrow night it will be well for him if he is not swinging from the gibbet near the bridge. Bring him along!’ And followed by Morgan Fenwolf and the others, with the prisoner, he strode up the hill. Long before this, Captain Bouchier had issued from the hostel, and joined the earl, and they walked together after the crowd. In a few minutes, the Duke of Shoreditch reached Henry the Eighth’s Grate, where he shouted to a sentinel, and told him what had occurred. After some delay, a wicket in the gate was opened, and the chief persons of the party were allowed to pass through it, with the prisoner, who was assigned to the custody of a couple of arquebusiers. By this time, an officer had arrived, and it was agreed, at the suggestion of the Duke of Shoreditch, to take the offender to the Curfew Tower. Accordingly, they crossed the lower ward, and passing beneath an archway near the semicircular range of habitations allotted to the petty canons, traversed the space before the west end of Saint George’s Chapel, and descending a short flight of stone steps at the left, and threading a narrow passage, presently arrived at the arched entrance in the Curfew Tower, whose ho*ary walls shone brightly in the moonlight. They had to knock for some time against the stout oak door, before any notice was taken of the summons. At length, an old man, who acted as bellringer, thrust his head out ofone of the narrow pointed wi…

Saint James’s

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Auriol

William Harrison Ainsworth 1805 1882 who also wrote under the pseudonyms Will Brown and Cheviot Tichburn, was an English historical novelist. 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 King’s Theatre, Haymarket, by whom he was introduced to literary and dramatic circles. 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. Amongst his other works are: Poems 1822, December Tales 1823, Jack Sheppard 1839, The Tower of London 1840, Old St. Paul s 1841, Windsor Castle 1843, The Lancashire Witches 1849 and Auriol; or, The Elixir of Life 1865.

The Lancashire Witches

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www. million books. com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XV. THE PHANTOM MONK. Many hours had passed by, and night had come on a night profoundly dark, Richard was still lying where he had fallen at the foot of Malkin Tower; for though he had regained his sensibility, he was so bruised and shaken as to be wholly unable to move. His limbs, stiffened and powerless, refused their office, and, after each unsuccessful effort, he sank back with a groan. His sole hope was that Mistress Nutter, alarmed by his prolonged absence, might come to her daughter’s assistance, and so discover his forlorn situation; but as time flew by and nothing occurred, he gave himself up for lost. On a sudden the gloom was dispersed, and a silvery light shed over the scene. The moon had broken through a rack of clouds, and illumined the tall mysterious tower, and the dreary waste around it. With the light a ghostly figure near him became visible to Richard, which under other circumstances would have excited terror in his breast, but which now only filledMm with wonder. It was that of a Cistercian monk ; the vestments were old and faded, the visage white and corpse like. Richard at once recognised the phantom he had seen in the banquet hall at the abbey, and had afterwards so rashly followed to the conventual church. It touched him with its icy fingers, and a chilness like death shot through his heart. ‘ Why dost thou trouble me thus, unhappy spirit ?’ said the young man. ‘ Leave me, I adjure thee, and let me die in peace!’ ‘ Thou wilt not die yet, Richard Assheton,’ returned the phantom; ‘ and my intention is not to trouble thee, but to serve thee. Without my aid thou wouldst perish where thou liest, but I will raise thee up, and set thee on thy way.’ ‘ Wilt thou help me to liberate Alizon ?’ demanded Richard. ‘ Do not concern thysel…

The Star-Chamber

Both volumes of a novel set in London from the 19th Century British historical novelist renowned for creating striking situations and powerful descriptions.

Ovingdean Grange

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1882 Original Publisher: G. Routledge

The Constable of the Tower

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www. million books. com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: XII. IN WHAT MANNER THE LORD ADMIRAL’S MABRIAGE WITH THE QTJEEN WAS ANNOUNCED. Meanwhile, the Lord Protector, accompanied by the Earl of Warwick, continued to walk through the apartments, noting their splendour with a jealous eye. Perceiving what was passing in his mind, Warwick sought still further to inflame his anger. ‘What thinks your highness of this fete?’ he asked. ‘ ‘Tis a sumptuous affair. The Lord Admiral will ruin himself if he gives many such.’ ‘ His prodigality is unbounded,’ cried Somerset. ‘Yet he has an object in it,’ pursued Warwick. ‘ He would have all eyes turned on him as towards the rising sun. Your highness will do well to be on your guard, for you may rest assured that all this display is only part of a deep laid scheme to supplant you. Do you not note how your brother has gathered round him all those of the old nobility who are known to be unfriendly to your highness? Do you not see that he is trying to propitiate the Romish party? With what intent are Gardiner and Tunstal here ? ‘ ‘His design is plain enough. But I fear him not.’ ‘ Your highness had best not be too confident. Do not let him strengthen himself too much, or he may become too powerful for you.’ ‘ I would deprive him of his post at once,’ cried Somerset, ‘ but he has so much influence with the king that such a step might be dangerous. I must have an excuse for severity. But let us tohis majesty. Dorset, I see, lias returned with my lady marchioness and his daughter.’ ‘ The king seems wondrously fond of the Lady Jane Grey. Mark how he hangs upon her words, and what a lover like attitude he assumes! Dorset, I am sure, persuades himself his daughter will one day be Queen of England.’ ‘ If he indulges any such notion he will find himself mistaken. But the king is too…

Boscobel

William Harrison Ainsworth 1805 1882 was an English historical novelist. 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 fellowcountrymen in the historical associations of the Tower. Ainsworth depends for his effects on striking situations and powerful descriptions: he has little humour or power of delineating character. His other works include The Admirable Crichton 1837, Jack Sheppard 1839, Windsor Castle 1843, The Lancashire Witches 1849, Guy Fawkes 1842, The Flitch of Bacon 1842 and Boscobel; or, The Royal Oak 1872.

The Leaguer of Lathom

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