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 famous for his historical fiction. Many classic books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.