William Harrison Ainsworth (1805 - 1882) was an English historical novelist born in Manchester. Jack Sheppard is a novel serially published in Bentley's Miscellany from 1839 to 1840. It is a historical romance and a Newgate novel based on the real life of the 18th-century criminal Jack Sheppard. Old St. Paul's is a novel serially published in 1841. It is a historical romance that describes the events of the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London. Jack Sheppard, Old St Paul's, and The Lancashire Witches are regarded as his most successful novels. In this book: Old Saint Paul'S, A Tale of the Plague and the Fire The Lancashire Witches - A Romance of Pendle Forest Jack Sheppard - A Romance