When the TV show Gentleman Jack hit the screens back in 2019, it became an international success and brought the world’s attention to the groundbreaking character of Anne Lister. Anne was born in 1791 and was a diarist, landowner, and intrepid traveler from West Yorkshire in England. She was also known as “The First Modern Lesbian.”
A self-taught student of various subjects, including science, geology, and languages, she was an intelligent and witty woman ahead of her time. She traveled to many European countries and lived in Paris for two years, eventually dying in Russia from an infected insect bite at the age of 49.
Anne wasn’t a conformist. She bravely lived the life she desired rather than be constricted by societal expectations of the time. Known as Gentleman Jack by locals, she was taunted for her androgynous appearance. Striding across the Yorkshire moors wearing a top hat and attired in black, she spoke her mind and was widely considered eccentric in an era where women lived repressed lives. She could be immensely charming and had love affairs with numerous women, all of which she wrote about in her diaries.
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Anne’s first love was Eliza Raine, with whom she shared a room at boarding school for two years. Eliza was devastated when Anne embarked on a relationship with Mariana Belcombe, which endured despite Mariana later marrying for money. While in Paris, Anne began a love affair with widow Maria Barlow, but ended the relationship because Maria’s social status was unacceptable to her. A friend and occasional lover, Isabella Norcliffe, was also spurned by Anne, who disapproved of her heavy drinking.
Anne was searching for a woman of a certain social standing to become her life partner. She considered Ann Walker, who came from a wealthy local family, suitable and attractive. Anne and Ann became lovers and, in 1834, took holy communion together at Holy Trinity Church in York, an act that they considered to constitute a marriage. Afterwards, they honeymooned in France and Switzerland. They lived together at Shibden Hall, causing much local gossip until Anne died in 1840.
At age 15, Anne wrote the first of around four million words that she would produce during her lifetime, outlining her most intimate thoughts and feelings. Some of her writing, particularly the parts alluding to her sexuality (which she referred to as her ‘oddity’), was written in secret code. Not fitting into society and feeling alone, her diary acted as a form of therapy.
A few decades after her death, John Lister, a descendent of Anne’s, discovered her diaries and managed to crack the code. John happened to be gay himself, and not wanting to draw attention to his family history, he hid the diaries behind a panel at Shibden Hall. The diaries came to light many years later and were transferred to the West Yorkshire Archive Service. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Helena Whitbread, a mature university student, discovered them when searching for a project. Helena decoded the diaries and devoted many years to ensuring Anne’s story became known.
These days, thanks to the TV series, the area of West Yorkshire where Anne lived and worked has become a major tourist attraction. Fans of the show make pilgrimages from all over the world to pay homage to the inspirational woman who lived life on her own terms. Some tours even visit all the key locations featured in Gentleman Jack, including Shibden Hall, where Anne lived for much of her life.
A Tudor style manor house nestled in Shibden Valley, West Yorkshire, and dating back to 1420, Shibden Hall is located around a mile from the city of Halifax. Anne lived there with her Aunt Anne and Uncle James from 1815 and inherited the property from her uncle when he died. The house’s architecture is a blend of styles, reflecting various aspects of its appearance through the ages. Much of the furniture present when Anne lived at the house is still there, and visitors can glimpse the room where she wrote her diaries.
Next to the house, a 17th-century barn houses the Lister carriage and displays work by blacksmiths, saddlers, and other tradesmen. Anne redesigned the house and surroundings, building a wilderness garden with waterfalls and woodlands, now known as Shibden Park. The peaceful area is a perfect spot for a picnic following a visit to the house. The park has 32 acres of land and is home to a café, boating lake, and miniature railway.
Anne was a frequent visitor to York, situated about 44 miles away from Shibden. She “married” Ann Walker at Holy Trinity Church in York on Easter Sunday, March 30, 1834. Founded in the 12th century, the church is full of character and is known for its original Georgian box pews. It’s hidden away behind the bustling shopping area of Goodramgate, and the picturesque churchyard is an oasis of peace. The first rainbow plaque in the UK, celebrating the union of the two women, can be seen on the wall outside the church.
In 2021, a bronze statue of Anne Lister was unveiled in Halifax. Suranne Jones, who played Gentleman Jack in the TV show, and the show’s creator, Sally Wainwright, did the honors. Situated in front of the elegant Piece Hall, an 18th-century cloth trading site, the life-size sculpture entitled “Contemplation” is the work of artist Diane Lawrenson.
Anne’s tombstone can be viewed at Halifax Minster, the 15th-century church where she worshipped and was baptized. The impressive church is home to some beautiful stained glass and was built by Cluniac monks in the 12th century. The minster had great significance to Anne, who was good friends with the vicar, Charles Musgrave. It was, therefore, fitting that her body was returned from Russia by Ann Walker to be interned at the church. Anne was easily able to reconcile her sexuality with God, strongly believing that as God had made her that way, it would be wrong to act against her feelings.
Anne traipsed across the fields from Shibden Valley to Halifax in the TV show, where she regularly made social calls or dealt with her business interests. Today, Halifax is a busy town with a Victorian central market, enticing indie shops, and grand Georgian buildings. The town’s claim to fame was wool manufacturing not so long ago. These days, it’s most famous for its connection to the trailblazing lesbian icon Anne Lister.
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