North and South Lesson Plan

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell is one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed novelists of Victorian literature. She was born on September 29th, 1810 to William Stevenson, a Unitarian minister, and Elizabeth Stevenson. Her father would later leave the faith after experiencing doubts of conscience, and eventually pursuing such varied professions as farming, journalism, and civil service. After her mother's death in 1811, Gaskell lived with her aunt, Hannah Lumb, in Knutsford, Cheshire (on what is now called "Gaskell Avenue"). Knutsford served as Gaskell's model for the small country town of Cranford in the eponymous novel and Hollingford in Wives and Daughters. Elizabeth was educated in...