C. M. (Charles Molloy) Westmacott

Born in 1787, Charles Molloy Westmacott was an English journalist and author who often wrote under the name Bernard Blackmantle. He became known for books that mixed satire, observation, and social commentary, bringing readers into the clubs, streets, theaters, and sporting life of his day.

Westmacott also worked as an editor and contributor in the world of periodicals, where his sharp, sometimes scandal-loving style helped him build a public reputation. Much of his writing drew on contemporary urban culture, making his work a vivid window into the habits and amusements of early 19th-century Britain.

He died in 1868. Today, he is remembered less as a single famous novelist than as a colorful literary figure whose journalism and sketches preserve the tone and texture of his era.