Going Against the Grain
Born in England in 1791, Anne Lister was quite a character. She owned land, climbed mountains, and traveled the world. Oh, and she was also gay. Her life is described in great detail in her numerous journals, journals she had kept religiously for many years. Every aspect of her life was detailed in them, be it the improvements she wanted to implement in her Yorkshire estate, her family affairs, and her romantic relationships with women.
While her sexual orientation came with a side of bullying from those who did not approve of her lifestyle, that did not deter her from openly living a lesbian life. She was open about the fact that she prefers the company of her own sex and even married a woman, though perhaps “married” needs some clarification in this context, as she tied an alternative knot with a special someone in the absence of a legitimized ritual or officiator. More on that in a bit.
Gentleman Jack
Lister was described as looking rather manlike and she often wore black clothing, which earned her the nickname Gentleman Jack. In the year 1832 Lister met a woman named Ann Walker. Anne and Ann soon became a couple and after 2 years of close relationship, they took part in an Easter communion at the Holy Trinity Church and considered this ritual as their wedding. The church to unknowingly host the event actually now boasts a plaque stating that it was the location in Britain to have a lesbian wedding.
Lister and Walker were sadly only able to enjoy their marital bliss for 8 years as Lister passed away in 1840 after contracting the flu. While Ann Walker did not have a legal standing as Lister’s heir, she kept living at Lister’s estate of Shibden Hall for a while after Lister’s death.
Lister’s numerous journals were written in code that was cracked after her passing. The 26 volumes (!) are now part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. Lister was even introduced into modern-day culture with the HBO and BBC joint production of the drama series “Gentleman Jack.”