author
W. H. (William Henry) Ireland
1777–1835
Best remembered for one of literature’s strangest frauds, this English writer forged “Shakespeare” documents that briefly fooled the public and caused a sensation in the 1790s. He also wrote gothic novels, poems, travel books, and historical works, leaving behind a career far broader than the scandal alone suggests.
1 Audiobook
Vortigern; an historical play
by W. H. (William Henry) Ireland
About the author
Born in London and usually dated 1775–1835, William Henry Ireland is chiefly known for the famous Shakespeare forgeries that made him notorious while he was still young. Raised in a household deeply interested in Shakespeare and antiquarian collecting, he produced fake deeds, letters, and even plays that were first welcomed as thrilling discoveries before being exposed.
The collapse of the hoax fixed his reputation as a literary impostor, but it did not end his writing life. He went on to publish widely in other forms, including gothic fiction, poetry, travel writing, and historical works, and some reference sources note that he was also known for a time as Samuel William Henry Ireland.
What makes him interesting now is the mix of scandal and productivity: he was not only the creator of one of the best-known literary frauds in English history, but also a busy professional author whose work reflects the tastes of the Romantic period, from medievalism and sensation to picturesque travel and popular history.