Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester is the 1848 debut novel of Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. It tells of the Victorian working class in Manchester, England, from 1839 to 1842, focusing on the story of the eponymous young female heroine. Through the experiences of two families—the Bartons and the Wilsons—it explores contemporary political and domestic issues during a time of increased industrialization and class tensions. As with much of Gaskell’s work, Mary Barton is narrated by a self-conscious authorial voice that may or may not be Gaskell’s own. Views on the nature and purpose of this voice differ, as Gaskell’s personal beliefs and later work are more radical than the opinions espoused by the narrator of Mary Barton. Much of the novel exposes the contrasts in life at the opposite ends of the economic spectrum, but Gaskell also highlights the characters’ universal human similarities as the novel concludes.

This study guide refers to the Project Gutenberg eBook edition of the text, revised 2013, available here.

Content Warning: This guide describes and discusses the source text’s treatment of child loss and domestic abuse.

Plot Summary

The story opens with a meeting of two working-class families—the Bartons and the Wilsons—just outside Manchester. The patriarchs of each family—John Barton and George Wilson—discuss Esther, John’s sister-in-law, who ran off a few nights earlier. John believes Esther has gained too much independence because of the money she is making as a factory worker. The group moves to the Bartons’ home for tea. They discuss social and political ideas. John’s daughter Mary is to invite George’s sister Alice, who is working as a nurse. Later that night, John’s pregnant wife dies in labor, which John believes is due to the shock of her sister Esther’s departure.

Three years pass. Mary Barton is apprenticed to a dressmaker and John has become involved with the Chartist trades’ union movement. When Mary is 17, Alice introduces her to a seamstress named Margaret Jennings and they become close friends. Margaret is losing her eyesight, making it increasingly difficult for her to sew, but she might be able to sing to support herself. Mary finds herself the object of male attention: Harry Carson, whose family owns the mill at which George Wilson works, takes an interest in Mary, and George’s son Jem is in love with Mary. She does not return Jem’s feelings and tries to avoid him as much as possible.

The Carson mill burns down, leaving George and many others without work. The only family income is now Jem’s earnings as a mechanic. George Wilson’s twin sons die from a fever. When Mary arrives to offer her condolences, Jem declares his love for her. She is upset by this, not least the inappropriate timing. She dreams of marrying Harry Carson, which would raise her status and enable her to help her father, unable to find work since the economic downturn. On reflection, Mary realizes that, although she turned down Jem’s marriage proposal, she is in love with him. She decides to avoid Harry and reveal her feelings to Jem the next time he proposes.

Esther has become a sex worker since leaving home three years before. She returns to tell John that he must make sure Mary doesn’t become like her. John turns Esther away and she is arrested for vagrancy. Released after a month of imprisonment, she visits Jem asking that he protect Mary from losing her reputation by walking out with Harry Carson. He agrees and seeks out Harry. A fight ensues between the men, which a police officer sees.

Shortly thereafter, Harry is found shot dead. Jem is arrested as his gun was found at the scene. Esther looks into the situation and finds that the material used as wadding in the ammunition is a piece of paper that has Mary’s name on it. Esther finds Mary and warns her. Recognizing the paper, Mary realizes that it belongs to her father, who she now believes to be the murderer. Mary struggles with how to save Jem while protecting her father.

Mary goes to Liverpool to look for Jem’s cousin Will Wilson, a sailor who was with Jem on the night of the murder. Will’s ship is at sea when she arrives, so Mary follows in a small boat. Will tells her that he will return the next day and testify at the trial.

As the trial progresses, Jem becomes aware that Mary is in love with him. Will gives his testimony and Jem is declared not guilty. Returning to Manchester, Mary finds her father is sick, suffering from intense guilt. He makes a deathbed confession of the murder to Harry’s father. Esther comes back to Mary’s home shortly after and dies too.

Jem decides to leave England as the scandal of the trial has made it hard for him to find work. The novel concludes by showing Mary and Jem married and living in Canada with their young child and Jem’s mother. Mary learns that her friend Margaret has regained her sight and is marrying Will.