William Harrison Ainsworth [SEP] date of death
William Harrison Ainsworth
William Harrison Ainsworth (4 February 1805 – 3 January 1882) was an English historical novelist born at King Street in Manchester. He trained as a lawyer, but the legal profession held 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. Ebers introduced Ainsworth to literary and dramatic circles, and to his daughter, who became Ainsworth's wife.
Ainsworth briefly tried the publishing business,
, it published contributions from Leigh Hunt, Douglas Jerrold, Frederick Marryat, Frances Trollope, Charles Robert Forrester, and W. M. Thackeray. Upon Hook's death in 1841, Thomas Hood was editor until 1843.
In 1845 Colburn sold the magazine for £2500 to William Harrison Ainsworth, who had earlier edited "Bentley's Miscellany" and who now edited his own "Ainsworth's Magazine". Ainsworth edited the "New Monthly" with his cousin William Francis Ainsworth as sub-editor. From 1871–79 William Francis Ainsworth was