Thomas Wilkinson Speight (1830-1915), better known as T W Speight, was born in Liverpool and believed to be illegitimate. He was educated at a foundation school at Kendal in the Lake District and later worked for the Midland Railway Company from 1847-87. Even before ending his time as a railroad man he had begun contributing to such magazines as All the Year Round, Belgravia, Cassell's Magazine, The Gentleman's Annual and The Argosy. From 1867 until the year of his death he published over 50 short stories, serials and novels which were mostly thrillers, mysteries, historical romances and sensation novels. This novel first appeared in serial form in The Argosy from January-December 1894 and then in book form the following year.