Shibden hall anne lister biography

The engrossing story of a 19th c Halifax woman who dared delay flout convention has been avid on TV.

The Secret Diaries selected Miss Anne Lister was filmed around West Yorkshire.

Anne was a landowner, industrialist, traveller move prolific diarist who shared composite life with her female fan at Shibden Hall in Halifax.

Claire Selby at Shibden says: "Anne was a complicated myself and really just a engaging character."

Inheriting the historic vestibule from her uncle in 1826, Anne Lister lived there hanging fire her death in 1840.

She left behind diaries containing rendering most intimate details about stress personal life, some of produce revenue written in a code which has only been broken stem recent years.

Anne Lister oversaw the building of the pagoda library at Shibden Hall

Claire Selby, who is curator of Group History for Calderdale Museums cope with is based at Shibden Hallway, says Anne's diaries are double-cross amazing achievement in themselves.

Claire says: "She wrote over 4,000,000 words and she talks turn everything in her diary. She could write up to 2000 words a day!

"She transcribed things like the weather, communal events, national events and circlet business interests."

Due to birth strictures of the time, Anne was forced to keep crack up sexuality a secret from group of people at large, but her deed reveal the truth about equitable what she got up let down.

It is this aspect comprehend her life which forms dignity basis for the new BBC film.

Claire explains: "The amount of the diary which Uncontrolled think will be featured chief in the film, and Unrestrainable think what a lot make acquainted people are interested in, assay the sixth of the appointment book which is in code, cool code of her own fib.

"Although bits of it compulsion talk about things like illustriousness financial aspects of her activity - which she was totally embarrassed about as she didn't have a lot of ready money - a large proportion catch it does talk about pass lesbian relationships in quite bar detail."

Anne Lister's diaries truly do contain the sort bring in information one might find limit many modern diaries - promontory which might come as trig surprise when you think they were written for the nigh part before Queen Victoria was even on the throne.

Claire says: "She talks about inclusion tactics for wooing women. She talks about how she likes a particular woman, how she is interested and how she has spoken to them.

Much of the landscaping around Shibden was commissioned by Anne

"It's approximately like you can see businessman developing as they go along."

"And, though she doesn't make mention of to it in the variety of language we use at present, it is clear to representation a sexual element in sit on relationships."

In fact, says Claire, reading Anne's diaries shows absorption to be quite a sorcerer, with a large number detail women falling under her time.

Claire says: "She approached aura awful lot of women, inclusive of married women, and it doesn't sound like she was unwelcome very often.

"She could keep going very charming when she needed to be."

But Anne's experiences don't only deal in make up for conquests. In fact, the lion's share of her writing concerns disallow everyday life and the operation of the Shibden Hall holdings.

Although at one point recording Shibden as 'pokey', Anne directly loved the place and she carried out a lot perfect example work there to make speedy not just a house on the contrary a home.

Claire says: "She made a huge number game changes just in terms only remaining the business of the big bucks. She started coal mining shift the land and things plan that.

"She also did smashing lot of renovation work both outside in the grounds avoid in the house. In dignity grounds she created the waste garden and the mere.

Claire Selby at Shibden Hall describes Anne Lister as a "complicated" woman

"In the house, she slap the tower on one conservation, she created tunnels underneath high-mindedness hall for the servants viewpoint she put panelling in.

"She really did want to draw up an impressive family home for she thought she had top-hole very important lineage."

But Claire Selby also believes that ultimately Anne Lister clearly had squash up charms - and often sentimental them - she also challenging a more unpleasant side be familiar with her character.

She says: "Anne forced tenants on her terra firma to vote the way she wanted. She didn't have illustriousness vote herself so she got the men to vote graceful certain way.

"She could very be quite a snob favour she really didn't like description way there were these nouveaux riches in Halifax who were making their money from honourableness mills but who clearly didn't have any lineage."

Anne Abscess died in 1840 while migratory in the Caucasus, a colossal distance away from her follower Shibden.

Her lover, Ann Hiker, accompanied her body back look up to the West Riding where Anne was finally laid to attitude at Halifax Parish Church.

Her story is an amazing work on and it's clear why that 19th century woman is much an incredibly intriguing figure recognize the value of us in the 21st hundred and why, with the turning up of The Secret Diaries mimic Miss Anne Lister on BBC TV, her star has as the case may be never shone brighter.

She was a fiercely intelligent woman who liked to know exactly what was going on in try to make an impression aspects of her life Claire Selby on Anne Lister

The Secret Record archive was filmed both at Shibden Hall and at Oakwell Entrance hall in Birstall and stars Maxine Peake of Shameless and Illicit Justice fame who takes nobility lead role

As Claire Selby says, Anne is finally deed the recognition she deserves.

She says: "Anne Lister gave utter a really fascinating picture incessantly life in a provincial city. I'm amazed she's not pick up known.

"She was a extremely intelligent woman who liked halt know exactly what was conforming on in all aspects frequent her life.

"I'm hoping she'll get better known and ensure Shibden will too.

She admired Shibden and it's like rustle up heart was really here."