Anne Lister. A name that shot to global fame through Sally Wainwright’s BBC/HBO series Gentleman Jack, featuring Suranne Jones’ striking portrayal. Now, her remarkable life is reflected through dance in Northern Ballet’s newest production, so let’s learn some more about her.
Hailing from Halifax, West Yorkshire, Anne was born in 1791 into a prominent, wealthy family of the landowning gentry of the area. Her uncle entrusted the running of Shibden Hall to her and she inherited the entire estate in 1826.
From an early age, Anne wrote diaries documenting her life. As she got older, she spared no detail in these accounts, with large portions describing her intimate affairs with a variety of lovers. However, these sections were written in code, which she referred to as ‘Crypthand’, featuring an amalgamation of the Greek alphabet and algebraic formulas. This allowed her to be as honest as she wanted because the suitors in question were all, in fact, women. Living in the 19th Century, it is hardly surprising that Anne wanted to keep this aspect of her life hidden; she knew she defied convention. Whilst she thought her code was unbreakable, she never knew who may come across her diaries and so by keeping these more sensual moments hidden, they could be enjoyed by her alone.
Anne was ahead of her time, not just for her love affairs but also for how much she travelled, how much she was involved in business and for how she dressed. The locals coined the nickname that has stayed with her — Gentleman Jack. Somehow Anne carved a life for herself that most women of her time, and the decades after, could only dream of. It was a visit abroad that led to her untimely death in 1840; she suffered a painful insect bite turned fever, at the edge of the Russian Empire (now Kutaisi, Georgia). Her body was then taken back to Yorkshire where she was buried at Halifax Minster.
Years after her death, Anne’s diaries were uncovered in the 1890s by her descendant John Lister and his friend, Arthur. They were going through the old papers of Shibden Hall, which John had recently inherited, and came across the 26 coded volumes. After tirelessly deciphering the code, they eventually cracked it and were astounded at what they uncovered. Views on sexuality still had not changed since Anne was alive and so they were shocked to read of her escapades. Arthur suggested they be destroyed, to avoid potential scandal, but John locked them away in the walls of the house; he couldn’t bring himself to destroy them.
They were hidden away for years until John’s death in 1933 and Shibden became under public ownership, when they were rediscovered and gifted to Halifax Library. They were then fully decoded again in the 1980s by local historian, Helena Whitbread, who published her findings which then went on to change the way we think about LGBTQ+ history.
Now, Anne’s legacy lives on. She is seen by many as the ‘first modern lesbian’, living unapologetically as herself and defying the norms of her time. Her diaries shaped education around Gender Studies and Women’s History, changing perspectives on when lesbian relationships were first documented. Today, her influence extends beyond the history books, as women around the world find hope and strength in her story.
Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack is touring the UK throughout 2026. Don’t miss your chance to see this brand-new ballet at a venue near you.
Photos by Emily Nuttall and Colleen Mair.
More from Northern Ballet
