Gentleman Jack: A Biography of Anne Lister, Regency Landowner, Seducer and Secret Diarist by Angela Steidele & Katy Derbyshire

Author:Angela Steidele & Katy Derbyshire [Steidele, Angela & Derbyshire, Katy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Profile
Published: 2018-09-14T22:00:00+00:00

Ann

1832–1840

NEIGHBOURS

Anne Lister returned to Shibden Hall on 7 May 1832, not having spent more than a few weeks there since 1826. Marian, Anne complained, crowed over the household like the cock of the dung-hill.1 She had had enough of her sister, even on the day of her arrival; we shall never agree – the less we see of each other the better – I like her less & less.2 Jeremy Lister did not speak a word to his prodigal daughter. Marian informed Anne of his opinion of her. My father does not like my walk etc.3 Anne avoided joint mealtimes and only spent an hour or so with her family in the evenings for her aunt’s sake; my aunt the best, but with all her goodness to me, sadly tiresome as a companion – the rest insufferable in point of vulgarity.4 I must get away somewhere – the money is the thing – I must invent something or other very shortly – but off I must go.5

Two weeks after her return, Anne escaped to her usual exile at Langton Hall with Isabella Norcliffe, where Mariana Lawton also put in an appearance. Anne explained to her oldest friends and lovers that she dreamed of a dame de compagnie [...] who is sensible, & comfortably well-mannered, who would be prepared to go where I like. She should do no work but help me to dress, to take care of my things, & make others do the rest. [...] I don’t mean to sit at a table with the woman who does my dirty work. Isabella and Mariana could no doubt imagine what else Anne expected of such a woman, laughing and quizzing me.6 Her grinning friend informed Anne on that occasion of the appellation Isabella says people give me – of tuft-hunter. Did people know about Anne Lister’s pubic hair collection? Anne would have had to pay her dame de compagnie, which gave the whole matter something too anomalous, rather sleazy, & I should [...] give it up,7 just as the idea of a peasant ‘wife’,8 which she had nurtured over the past years of involuntary celibacy. In her mind she went through possible candidates of her acquaintance, the MacKenzies, Lady Elizabeth Thackray & Miss Hall – to try first for Miss MacK–. Thought of Miss Freeman & Miss Walker of Lidgate as people here. Louisa Belcombe & Miss Price in York, besides Miss Salmon. Surely I shall get some companion by-and-by.9

The top billing went to twenty-nine-year-old Ann Walker from the neighbouring village of Lightcliffe, twelve years Anne’s junior. The Walkers were ‘new money’ to Anne, owners of steam-powered weaving mills, and thus below the classes she chose to mix with. Ann Walker’s grandfather had built an empire as a cloth-maker, trader and landowner. The family had three properties in Lightcliffe. Ann was born in 1803, and grew up with her older sister Elizabeth, and younger brother John at the family’s main home, Crow Nest, a large Georgian manor house surrounded by spacious grounds.

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