This early work is William Harrison Ainsworth's novel, The Lancashire Witches . The story is based on the factual case of the Pendle witches, a group of women who were executed in the early seventeenth century for witchcraft. Originally published as a serial in 1848, The Lancashire Witches is widely considered to be Ainsworth s best work, and has never been out of print. This fantastic tale is highly recommended for those with an interest in historical cases of witchcraft, and constitutes a must-read for fans of Ainsworth s work. William Harrison Ainsworth (1805 1882) was an English novelist...

A modern edition containing -The Spectre Bride-, -Auriol or The Elixir of Life-, and -A Night in Rome-.

The Lancashire Witches is the only one of William Harrison Ainsworth's 40 novels that has remained continuously in print since its first publication. It was serialised in the Sunday Times newspaper in 1848; a book edition appeared the following year, published by Henry Colburn. The novel is based on the true story of the Pendle witches, who were executed in 1612 for causing harm by witchcraft. Modern critics such as David Punter consider the book to be Ainsworth's best work. The subject of the Pendle witches was suggested to Ainsworth by antiquarian and long-time friend James Crossley,...