'In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons... whatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford.' Best known for the TV adaptation starring Judi Dench, Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Cranford started life as a series of short stories. The first, ‘Our Society in Cranford’, appeared in 1851. It introduced gentle incidents of rural life including characters like the much-loved Miss Matty and her upright sister Miss Jenkyns. There were seven more short stories
