Holbrook Gaskell
| Holbrook Gaskell | |
|---|---|
Holbrook Gaskell
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| Born | 5 March 1813 Wavertree, Liverpool, England |
| Died |
8 March 1909 (aged 96) Woolton Woods, Liverpool |
| Residence | England |
| Nationality | English |
| Fields | Chemist |
| Known for | alkali |
Holbrook Gaskell (5 March 1813 – 8 March 1909) was a British industrialist, and an art and plant collector.
Holbrook 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 on 11 April 1813 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.
In 1836 he formed a partnership with James Nasmyth which led to the creation of Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company and the building of the Bridgewater Foundry at Patricroft near Manchester. Nasmyth recalls this in his biography "He had served his time at Yates and Cox, iron merchants, of Liverpool. Having obtained considerable experience in the commercial details of that business, and being possessed of a moderate amount of capital, he was desirous of joining me, and embarking his fortune with me. He was to take charge of the counting-house department, and conduct such part of the correspondence as did not require any special knowledge of mechanical engineering. I am much pleased by the frank and friendly manner of Mr. Gaskell, and I believe that the feeling between us was mutual. We continued working together for a period of sixteen years; and I believe Mr. Gaskell had no reason to regret his connection to the Bridgewater Foundry".
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.
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