Holbrook Gaskell

Gaskell was born in Wavertree, Liverpool. He was the eldest son of Roger Gaskell, a sailcloth manufacturer, from his marriage to his cousin Anne Hunter. He was baptised at the Paradise Street Unitarian Chapel in Liverpool. He was the cousin of the Unitarian minister William Gaskell, (husband of the novelist Mrs Gaskell), and was from a Unitarian family himself. He was educated privately at a school in Norton near Sheffield and then in 1827 he worked as an apprentice clerk in the firm of Yates, Cox and Co, who were iron merchants and nail makers in Liverpool.

Gaskell married Frances Ann Bellhouse in 1841, who was the daughter of Henry Bellhouse of Manchester and niece of David Bellhouse, the Manchester builder Nasmyth and Gaskell had contracted during the initial building of the Patricroft site. Over the next 14 years they had nine children, six daughters and three sons.