This early work is William Harrison Ainsworth's novel, "e;The Lancashire Witches"e;. 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, "e;The Lancashire Witches"e; is widely considered to be Ainsworth's best work, and has never been out of print. This fantastic ...