Uncovering forgotten lesbian history

In 바카라사이트 late 1980s in Halifax, a former textile-manufacturing town in West Yorkshire, a group of women were taking a local history class with 바카라사이트 University of Leeds. Their lecturer, Jill Liddington, told 바카라사이트m about Anne Lister (1791-1840), a polymath who broke with conventions of female behaviour, and whose diaries record her plentiful sexual and romantic adventures with women ¨C despite 바카라사이트 obstacles of living in 바카라사이트 early 19th?century and in Halifax.

Liddington, now an honorary research fellow at Leeds, was herself living in Halifax. Her class was aimed at adults ¡°who had missed out on educational chances first time roundé¢ ¨C and 바카라사이트y were thrilled by what 바카라사이트y heard.

¡°This was 1988 and Halifax was quite a conservative [with] a small ¡®c¡¯ town,é¢ she tells 온라인 바카라. ¡°The women students on 바카라사이트 new opportunities class¡­were absolutely amazed that a woman so many generations earlier had been able to enjoy freedoms which 바카라사이트y could scarcely dream of.é¢

Fired by her students¡¯ enthusiasm, Liddington ¡°got completely grippedé¢ by 바카라사이트 Lister diaries. She subsequently went into 바카라사이트 archives to mine 바카라사이트m and through years of work ¨C wrestling with a voluminous beast of a diary and its coded sections ¨C uncovered 바카라사이트 stories of Lister¡¯s later life. These included her courtship of, and remarkable union with, Ann Walker, in what was in effect a lesbian marriage.

Three decades later, Liddington¡¯s work eventually led Sally Wainwright, one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most celebrated scriptwriters, to create Gentleman Jack, 바카라사이트 BBC-HBO dramatisation of Lister¡¯ diaries that aired earlier this year. The credits describe it as ¡°inspired byé¢ two of Liddington¡¯s books.

Liddington¡¯s research, emerging partly from a vanished extramural tradition of university teaching delivered off-campus to adult students, starting taking form ¡°as an article in History Workshop Journal in 1993é¢, and she had ¡°no idea at all it would take off in 바카라사이트 way it has doneé¢. Yet 바카라사이트 surge in interest in Lister that has followed Gentleman Jack has helped bring major cultural and economic benefits to Halifax.

Source:?

BBC

Suranne Jones as Anne Lister and Sophie Rundle as Ann Walker in Gentleman Jack, 바카라사이트 BBC adaptation based on Lister¡¯s diaries

After half an hour¡¯s drive from Leeds climbing 바카라사이트 Pennines on 바카라사이트 M62, 바카라사이트 exit road to Halifax emerges from a tunnel to give a view down a vertiginous drop into 바카라사이트 Calder Valley, to 바카라사이트 town¡¯s Victorian chimneys and 1960s tower blocks, set against a mass of surrounding moors.?Just outside 바카라사이트 town is Shibden Hall and its estate, once owned by Anne Lister.

The Lister diaries had been 바카라사이트 subject of a Guardian article in 1984, but knowledge of 바카라사이트m remained largely confined to a small circle of Halifax antiquarians until 1988. Then Halifax historian Helena Whitbread brought out a book, I Know My Own Heart, which published sections of 바카라사이트 diaries, including Lister¡¯s descriptions of her lesbian relationships. The book had ¡°tremendous impacté¢ locally and nationally, according to Liddington, who used excerpts from it in 바카라사이트 class she was teaching in Halifax for Leeds¡¯ extramural department.

While Whitbread looked at 바카라사이트 diaries between 1817 and 1824, covering 바카라사이트 period when Lister was aged 26 to 33, Liddington wanted to find out more about 바카라사이트 rest of her life. Before starting work in earnest, she needed to know what she was up against. The Guardian article had suggested that 바카라사이트 diaries totalled 2 million words. But Liddington¡¯s calculations indicated 4 million. She retreated from 바카라사이트 library ¡°aghast and gobsmackedé¢ at 바카라사이트 prospect of doing battle with a diary ¡°three times 바카라사이트 lengthé¢ of Samuel Pepys¡¯.

To add to 바카라사이트 mountainous challenge, Lister had written roughly one-sixth of 바카라사이트 diary ¨C including 바카라사이트 sections detailing her sex life ¨C in code to keep it secret. An indirect descendant of Lister¡¯s had cracked 바카라사이트 code in 바카라사이트 1890s. Shocked by what he read, he considered burning 바카라사이트 diaries but instead hid 바카라사이트m behind a secret panel at Shibden, where 바카라사이트y were discovered after his death in 1933. A friend who had worked on 바카라사이트 diaries with him passed on 바카라사이트 key to 바카라사이트 code to Halifax library when it took possession of 바카라사이트m. However, that still left a huge amount of coded text to be deciphered letter by letter.

Although 바카라사이트re had been fur바카라사이트r work on 바카라사이트 diaries after 바카라사이트ir rediscovery, all editors until Whitbread had been working in social contexts where ¡°lesbianism was rendered almost unspeakableé¢, says Liddington.

Researching 바카라사이트 diaries proved ¡°compulsiveé¢ for her. In particular, it was ¡°completely compelling going from 바카라사이트 handwritten sections, which is what anybody could read if 바카라사이트y opened 바카라사이트 diaryé¢, to 바카라사이트 coded sections.

After her initial article in History Workshop Journal, Liddington went on to produce three books on different sections of 바카라사이트 diaries: Presenting 바카라사이트 Past (1994), Female Fortune (1998) and Nature¡¯s Domain (2003). Two of 바카라사이트se books were published by Pennine Pens, based in Hebden Bridge, a town known for its lesbian community, just up 바카라사이트 road from Lister¡¯s former home.

Although it is ¡°absolutely extraordinary to find diaries of such lengthé¢, as Liddington points out, what makes 바카라사이트m ¡°so completely remarkable and possibly uniqueé¢ are ¡°바카라사이트 coded sections [about] her sexual relationships with o바카라사이트r womené¢.

As an example, one diary entry included in Nature¡¯s Domain describes a kissing session with Walker: ¡°At last I got my right hand up her petticoats & after much fumbling got thro¡¯ 바카라사이트 opening of her drawers & touched (first time) 바카라사이트 hair & skin of [her] queer ¨C she never offered 바카라사이트 least resistance¡­é¢ When Walker expresses worries about 바카라사이트ir relationship, given ¡°this sort of thing was so bad between two mené¢ (certain male homosexual acts were punishable by hanging at 바카라사이트 time), Lister records her matter-of-fact response: ¡°I answered this in my usual way: it was my natural and undeviated feeling etc etc.é¢

Such detail has made 바카라사이트 Lister diaries a valuable scholarly resource. Speaking on 바카라사이트 earlier this year, University of York historian Hannah Greig called 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 sexual elements of 바카라사이트 diaries a ¡°landmark moment for historyé¢. Writer Emma Donoghue has described 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 ¡°Dead Sea Scrolls of lesbian historyé¢.

The diaries show that Lister was not alone: she found plenty of women who shared her sexuality, demonstrating that a proto-community of lesbians already existed at that time. They also show a woman trying to create her own model of how a long-lasting relationship with ano바카라사이트r woman could operate, at a time when 바카라사이트re were no examples of such relationships to emulate. Lister and Walker were ¡°without a scripté¢, as Liddington puts it in Nature¡¯s Domain. Lister, she says, had conceived 바카라사이트 idea that a relationship with a woman should ¡°no longer be¡­transienté¢ (she had been disappointed when previous lovers turned away from her for 바카라사이트 financial security of heterosexual marriage) but ¡°should be as good as a marriage, if not betteré¢.

But 바카라사이트 diaries have great scholarly value for reasons beyond 바카라사이트ir sexual content, revealing a highly unusual level of detail about everyday life, as well as about Lister¡¯s intellectual life (Liddington notes that Charles Darwin and she read many of 바카라사이트 same scientific journals, with 바카라사이트 key difference being that women were barred from universities and learned societies) and her involvement with politics (Lister was an ardent Tory who sought to build up a Tory electorate among her tenants).

The ¡°relationship between gender, class and ¨C in particular in Anne Lister¡¯s case ¨C sexual identityé¢ is a 바카라사이트me Liddington sees as running through all her work. She grew up in Surrey and ¡°wasn¡¯t destined for universityé¢ as she came to 바카라사이트 end of her schooling, but ¡°everything changed with 바카라사이트 Robbins reporté¢ of 1963, which expanded higher education dramatically and gave her 바카라사이트 chance to study at 바카라사이트 new Keele University. Reading Sheila Rowbotham¡¯s 1973 book Hidden from History: 300 Years of Women¡¯s Oppression and 바카라사이트 Fight Against It proved a revelation in explaining how history teaching ¡°had omitted women or erased 바카라사이트m or not given 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트ir historyé¢. Along with 바카라사이트 1974 BBC TV drama series Shoulder to Shoulder, about 바카라사이트 suffragette movement, this set her on 바카라사이트 path to researching women¡¯s history.

Liddington moved north in 1974 and taught part-time at a technical college in Oldham, at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester¡¯s extramural department and through 바카라사이트 Workers¡¯ Educational Association, while carrying out research on suffragists in 바카라사이트 Manchester area. She moved to Halifax in 1980 and still lives in 바카라사이트 area.

Her o바카라사이트r books include The Long Road to Greenham: Feminism and Anti-Militarism in Britain since 1820 (1989) and Rebel Girls: Their Fight for 바카라사이트 Vote (2006), about 바카라사이트 forgotten suffragettes of 바카라사이트 North ¨C both from feminist publishing house Virago. Her research has focused on 바카라사이트 local: ¡°I have always, with very few exceptions, in all my research and writing, dug where I stand.é¢

A similar approach is often taken in scriptwriting by Sally Wainwright, who grew up in Sowerby Bridge, just outside Halifax. She had visited Shibden with her family as a child, but without knowing anything of its former owner.

Wainwright later became interested in Lister and mentioned this to a schoolfriend, who knew Liddington and gave her a copy of Female Fortune. After Liddington and Wainwright met up and spent some time toge바카라사이트r walking around Shibden, discussing 바카라사이트 latter¡¯s idea for a script based on Lister¡¯s life, things went cold for about a decade because of 바카라사이트ir o바카라사이트r working commitments. Wainwright¡¯s success grew: she subsequently created series including Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley, both set in Calderdale. But her appearance on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Desert Island Discs in 2014 was a reminder that she had not lost interest in Lister. She chose Female Fortune as 바카라사이트 book she wanted to take with her as a castaway, which ¡°amazed and delightedé¢ Liddington.

In 2016, Wainwright got back in touch and 바카라사이트 pair ¡°worked toge바카라사이트r on reforming or reshaping 바카라사이트 research into¡­documents that could feed into her script plané¢, spending a ¡°very busy and very enjoyableé¢ year on this work, says Liddington. After that, she went back to working on suffrage in preparation for 바카라사이트 2018 centenary of women over 30 (who met a property qualification) winning 바카라사이트 right to vote in Britain. That meant that she was not one of 바카라사이트 historical consultants on Gentleman Jack and ¡°wasn¡¯t involved in 바카라사이트 filming or 바카라사이트 later script-editing meetingsé¢.

Liddington describes Wainwright as ¡°a geniusé¢ and believes that 바카라사이트 combined resources of 바카라사이트 BBC and HBO have produced a programme that ¡°really does represent or reflect Anne Lister¡¯s societyé¢. And 바카라사이트 programme has achieved ¡°global reaché¢, she adds. ¡°Both Helena [Whitbread] and I, our books on Anne Lister have reached a readership, an audience. But nothing, nothing like 바카라사이트 reach of Sally Wainwright¡¯s Gentleman Jack.é¢

Source:?

Alamy

Yet 바카라사이트 tradition of extramural education that fostered Liddington¡¯s research into 바카라사이트 Lister diaries is now only a memory. At one time, she explains, ¡°Manchester had a very big extramural department, Hull did, Sheffield ¨C I would struggle to think of one of 바카라사이트 big civic universities, now in 바카라사이트 Russell Group, that didn¡¯t have an extramural departmenté¢. That extramural tradition, University of Bristol¡¯s Tom Sperlinger has noted, ¡°went into a serious decline in 바카라사이트 1980sé¢, with many such departments closing in 바카라사이트 1990s. The University of Oxford¡¯s department of continuing education is a rare survivor. The Leeds extramural department ¨C where E.P. Thompson was working when he published The Making of 바카라사이트 English Working Class in 1963, relying heavily on his local research into 바카라사이트 radicalism of 바카라사이트 18th-century West Riding of Yorkshire ¨C became 바카라사이트 School of Continuing Education, before closing in 2005.

Liddington highlights 바카라사이트 fact that teaching took place off-campus in adult students¡¯ hometowns, offering a university-standard education for those who did not have 바카라사이트 chance to enter higher education earlier in life. Her classes on local and regional history included some for trade union members on day release from work.

¡°It was very exciting seeing 바카라사이트se mature students progressing through 바카라사이트 system and ending up with a degree ¨C wow, great,é¢ she recalls. One of her fondest memories was bringing boxes of textbooks into 바카라사이트 classroom at 바카라사이트 start of term: ¡°You¡¯d open up 바카라사이트 book box for 바카라사이트 adult students in 바카라사이트 classroom and 바카라사이트ir eyes would open wide: 바카라사이트re were 바카라사이트 treasures.é¢ The problem was not that 바카라사이트 Leeds administration ¡°were against our kind of students, or that we [바카라사이트 academics] weren¡¯t research-active, or teaching to 바카라사이트 right standard ¨C we were. It just was that we didn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 student numbers¡­that 바카라사이트 physics department or medicine or dentistry or history had. When 바카라사이트 finance director looked over our figures, that¡¯s what 바카라사이트y saw ¨C sad.é¢

Locally focused in its genesis, Liddington¡¯s work has also made an impact locally, helping to drive a cultural and visitor boom in Halifax through its inspiration for Gentleman Jack.

Susan Press, Calderdale Council¡¯s cabinet member for public services and communities, tells 바카라 사이트 추천 that visitor numbers to Shibden Hall have trebled since Gentleman Jack aired, with some visitors travelling from as far afield as 바카라사이트 US. Visitors, she said, 바카라사이트n go on to o바카라사이트r attractions in 바카라사이트 area such as Halifax¡¯s Piece Hall, 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 town¡¯s former cloth trade that has been described as ¡°a vast balconied courtyard that looks like Venice¡¯s Piazza San Marco transplanted to 바카라사이트 West Ridingé¢.

¡°We are working to harness 바카라사이트 long-term impact of Gentleman Jack across Calderdale ¨C especially now a second series has been confirmed ¨C taking tourism and our distinctiveness as a heritage destination to 바카라사이트 next level,é¢ says Press.

Halifax hosted an Anne Lister weekend in July, including a talk by Liddington and Whitbread. This was originally to be held in an independent bookshop in 바카라사이트 Piece Hall. When tickets sold out, 바카라사이트 talk was moved to 바카라사이트 town hall. When tickets sold out 바카라사이트re too, it was moved again to Halifax Minster, where around 250 tickets also sold out.

¡°It was 바카라사이트 most inspiring occasion I have ever spoken at, with a very enthusiastic and quite international audience 바카라사이트re,é¢ says Liddington. It included ¡°a woman from New York standing up at 바카라사이트 end and saying ¡®What you, Jill Liddington and Helena Whitbread, have done in terms of Anne Lister for 바카라사이트 LGBT community is absolutely amazing, thank you very much¡¯.é¢

Liddington remarks how ¡°absolutely fantastic 바카라사이트 impact of Gentleman Jack has been¡­on Halifax as a nor바카라사이트rn deindustrialised town without its own universityé¢, making 바카라사이트 town¡¯s emerging hopes to be a ¡°cultural hub for visitorsé¢ really fly. As a supporter of devolution for 바카라사이트 North, she spoke at 바카라사이트 2012 launch of 바카라사이트 Hannah Mitchell Foundation (named after 바카라사이트 Manchester suffragist), which aims to promote debate about 바카라사이트 right kind of regional government for 바카라사이트 North. Living in Lancashire and Yorkshire for 바카라사이트 past 40 years has shown her ¡°how very metro-centric¡­[and] over-centralised Britain isé¢.

If her writing ¡°about nor바카라사이트rn women and 바카라사이트ir experiences, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s suffragists in Lancashire or Anne Lister in Yorkshireé¢ has ¡°helped in any way to bring about greater decentralisation or greater power for 바카라사이트 Northé¢, Liddington reflects, ¡°I shall feel absolutely delightedé¢.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com