Why was Mary Barton set around 7 years previous to the time of writing?

[Catriona L]

It seemed a little strange to me that the tale is set about 6 years previous to the time of writing. I would have thought that Mrs Gaskell would have wanted to show the social problems as current ones. Does anyone know why she might have set her tale approximately in 1842?

[kev67]

It seemed a little strange to me that the tale is set about 6 years previous to the time of writing. I would have thought that Mrs Gaskell would have wanted to show the social problems as current ones. Does anyone know why she might have set her tale approximately in 1842?

Maybe it was to coincide with one of the Chartists' marches that Mary Barton's father was involved with.