Reverend Hall resigns his post at Helstone and moves his family to the fictional town of Milton, aka Manchester, a major industrial center. Gaskell herself lived in Manchester and knew intimately the strengths and struggles it faced due to rapid industrialization. It is believed that Gaskell chose the name "Milton" as a fictional stand-in for Manchester, because she wanted to convey the cultural aspect of the city as important to her as its industry. (CG)