The son of a naval captain, George Reynolds was born in Sandwich, England, and educated privately in England and on the Continent. He served for a number of years as editor of various London publications including the Journal and Reynold's Miscellany. Always in sympathy with the plight of the working class, he was a leader of the Chartists, a radical organization of the time. His revolutionary turn of mind is reflected in the sensationalism characteristic of his Gothic writing.