Publications & Projects

It is difficult to separate the sexual behavior contained in the journals and the language Anne Lister uses to describe them, including her evolving understanding of human anatomy, notions of pleasure and sexual satisfaction, and other related activities and terms. 

This guide offers a starting point for understanding the language Anne Lister used to describe her sexual practices.

Anne Lister's remains were buried in the Halifax Minster after they were returned to Halifax following her death in Georgia in 1840. Yet, it remains a mystery precisely where, inside the church, Anne's remains lie. 

In this article, we explore how the lives—and especially the deaths—of generations of Listers intersect with the rich history of the Halifax Minster over the centuries, providing us with clues about where Anne Lister's body might be today and how we might find her.

Journals and correspondence of Lister’s document several nicknames she held, such as Pony, Dearest, Fred, Pevvy, and Welly. However, there is a lack of primary sources to support the claim that Anne Lister was commonly known by the nickname 'Gentleman Jack' during her lifetime. This statement is unverifiable for Anne's lifetime.

In the television series Gentleman Jack, the Queen of Denmark asks Anne “Do you always wear black?” to which she replies that she began this practice after an engagement went awry, and that person married someone else. The implication is that this would be referring to Anne’s former lover Mariana (née Belcombe) Lawton who is also portrayed in the series. 

The information in Anne Lister’s journals remained relatively inaccessible until the digitisation of these volumes led to a transcription project facilitated by the West Yorkshire Archive Service. Over 150 volunteers from around the world joined this effort, which underscored the benefits of a structured, collaborative approach to tackling ventures of this nature. 

This project accelerated information retrieval from Lister’s journals and brought together a diverse group of contributors. 

Anne Lister's correspondence features a rich variety of wax seals and stamps, each revealing part of their owners' personal histories. This brief article and spreadsheet compiles descriptions of the known seals used by Anne Lister and her correspondents.

On Tuesday, 24 August 1824, Anne Lister, with Elizabeth Cordingley in tow, left home by mail coach. They were en route to Paris via Dover – and this would be the pivotal journey in which she meets the somewhat coy but neurotic Maria Barlow.

On Thursday, 26 August 1824 Anne Lister enthusiastically showed Cordingley the sights of London, their trail covering about 10 – 12 miles (about 19 kilometres). Poor Cordingley felt worse for wear after the walking tour but to Anne, London was ‘the metropolis of the world’, and magnificent.

This map recreates their tour of London and the sights Anne and Cordingley visited that Thursday.