William Harrison Ainsworth

William Harrison Ainsworth, the elder of two sons of Thomas Ainsworth (1778–1824), a solicitor, and his wife, Ann Harrison (1778–1842), the daughter of a nonconformist minister, was born on 4th February 1805 at 21 King Street, Manchester.

Ainsworth was tutored at home until he was sent to Manchester Free Grammar in 1817. During this period he produced his first literary works, including melodramas that he staged at home as well as poems, stories, and essays. In 1821 he had his first article published in the New Monthly Magazine. However, his father wanted him to follow a legal career and he was articled as a clerk with Alexander Kay, a solicitor. On his father's death in 1824, Ainsworth inherited his law partnership and went to London for further legal training at the chambers of Jacob Phillips in the Inner Temple.

Ainsworth continued to write and in 1826 he published the novel Sir John Chiverton (1826), which won praise from Sir Walter Scott. He married Anne Frances Ebers on 11th October 1826. The marriage produced three daughters. Ainsworth's next novel, Rookwood, was published by John Macrone in 1834. Illustrated by George Cruikshank it included an depiction of the legendary ride of the highwayman Dick Turpin from London to York, a ride which became accepted as historical fact even though it was an invention of the author. The novel followed in the tradition of the work of Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who had also written about the life of criminals in his novels. These became known as Newgate Novels.

In 1839 Ainsworth published a novel about Jack Sheppard, a notorious criminal who had been executed at the age of 22. According to his biographer, Sheldon Goldfarb: "Praised for its vivid writing, especially its depiction of a storm on the Thames and its account of Jack Sheppard's escape from Newgate prison, the novel became so popular that by the end of 1839 nine different theatrical versions of it had appeared on the London stage."

Jack Sheppard (1839) was attacked by John Forster in The Examiner for glorifying criminals. It was even suggested that the murder of Lord William Russell by Francois Benjamin Courvoisier in 1840 had been inspired by a reading of Ainsworth's novel. The popularity of the story, and the fear that others might try to emulate his behaviour, led the authorities to refuse to license any plays in London with "Jack Sheppard" in the title for over forty years.

Claire Tomalin, the author of Dickens: A Life (2011), has pointed out that during this period Ainsworth became friends with Charles Dickens. "He was seven years older than Dickens, good-looking, well-dresssed and sophisticated. He lived with a lady not his wife, the formidable Eliza Touchet, who made clever conversation; she was older than him, the widow of a cousin, and since he had separated from his wife she had taken charge of him, at Kensal Lodge, where they entertained in style."

Peter Ackroyd has argued in Dickens (1990): "In many ways they were alike. Ainsworth was a very handsome, forceful and somewhat mercurial man. He was also rather short, like other of Dickens's friends (Forster and Maclise among them), and it seems that Dickens did not like to be at a disadvantage in any sense. Ainsworth shared Dickens's passion for the theatre and was full of the same kind of confidence and enthusiasm as his contemporary. They both worked hard, like to walk immense distances, like to ride. They were both extraordinarily convivial... He and Dickens were, in all these ways, very much part of the same generation, part of that eminently social, gregarious, energetic, vivacious group which we have come to call Early Victorians."

Ainsworth was upset by this criticism about his Newgate Novels and decided to abandoned criminal romances for historical novels. This included Guy Fawkes (1840), The Tower of London (1840), and Old Saint Paul's (1841). Ainsworth also became editor of Bentley's Miscellany , a journal previously edited by Charles Dickens. He resigned as editor in 1841 and established his own publication, The Ainsworth's Magazine .

Ainsworth was considered by Lady Blessington as one of the most handsome men in London. His dandyish appearance was captured by a drawing by his friend, Daniel Maclise, that appeared in Fraser's Magazine. He also developed a reputation for playing host to writers and artists at Kensal Manor House, his residence on the fringe of the capital. Guests included John Macrone , Charles Dickens, John Forster, William Makepeace Thackeray and George Cruikshank were among his guests.

Ainsworth's biographer, Sheldon Goldfarb, has pointed out: "His style of historical romances went out of fashion, and his occasional attempts in other forms, such as the autobiographical Mervyn Clitheroe (1851), were not successful. He thus fell back on his historical novels, producing them at an increasing pace but for decreasing profit. The declining popularity of his novels can be traced in his contracts with Chapman and Hall, who initially gave Ainsworth excellent terms but became less and less generous as his sales steadily declined."

In the 1850s Ainsworth joined Charles Dickens, John Forster, Edward Bulwer-Lytton , William Macready, Daniel Maclise and Augustus Egg to form The Guild of Literature and Art. Their intention was to fund a system of annuities and pensions to support writers and artists of distinction who had fallen upon hard times.

In 1853 Ainsworth moved to Brighton at 5 Arundel Terrace. It is claimed that he now became a recluse. It was reported in the 1860s that Robert Browning told John Forster: "A sad, forlorn-looking being stopped me to-day, and reminded me of old times. He presently resolved himself into - whom do you think? Harrison Ainsworth!" To which Forster replied, "Good heavens! is he still alive?"

William Harrison Ainsworth died at his home, 57 St Mary's Road, Reigate, on 3rd January 1882 of congestion of the lungs.

Primary Sources

(1) Claire Tomalin, Dickens: A Life (2011)

Another new friend was the novelist Harrison Ainsworth, who was growing rich from his historical and low-life fiction, Rookwood, about Dick Turpin, and Jack Sheppard, another criminal hero. He was seven years older than Dickens, good-looking, well-dresssed and sophisticated. He lived with a lady not his wife, the formidable Eliza Touchet, who made clever conversation; she was older than him, the widow of a cousin, and since he had separated from his wife she had taken charge of him, at Kensal Lodge, where they entertained in style.

(2) Peter Ackroyd, Dickens (1990)

In many ways they were alike. Ainsworth was a very handsome, forceful and somewhat mercurial man. He was also rather short, like other of Dickens's friends (Forster and Maclise among them), and it seems that Dickens did not like to be at a disadvantage in any sense. Ainsworth shared Dickens's passion for the theatre and was full of the same kind of confidence and enthusiasm as his contemporary. They both worked hard, like to walk immense distances, like to ride. They were both extraordinarily convivial... He and Dickens were, in all these ways, very much part of the same generation, part of that eminently social, gregarious, energetic, vivacious group which we have come to call Early Victorians.