Series 1: Episode Three
The Real Diaries of Anne Lister
Gentleman Jack is based on the real diaries of Anne Lister, who sometimes wrote in code to disguise her innermost thoughts.
Here we have selected extracts from the diary and explain how they feature in the episode.
In Anne's Diary: 4th October 1832
Anne writes...
Highlighted above
I had my arm on the back of the sofa, she leaned on it, looked as if I might be affectionate and it ended in her lying on my arm all the morning and my kissing her and her returning it with much a long continued passionate or nervous mumbling kiss that we got on as far as we, by daylight, mere kissing, could - I thinking to myself:
‘Well, this is rather more than I expected’
…She asked me to dine with her at five and stay all night.
In Anne's Diary: 8th October 1832
Kissing and pressing her as usual, she put the blind down, lucky, James had come in on trivial errands twice.
And Mrs Priestley came at four. I had jumped in time and was standing by the fire, but Ann looked red and I pale, and Mrs P must see we were not particularly expecting or desiring company. She looked vexed, jealous and annoyed.
Anne and Ann's Liaisons
In Episode 3, Anne and Ann’s liaison takes a thrilling turn, in scenes that are directly inspired by Anne’s diaries.
Ann Walker really did make the bold move of asking Anne Lister to stay all night, and Mrs Priestley really did walk in on them kissing.
Anne’s remark that Mrs Priestley seemed ‘jealous’ is interesting – did she suspect that Mrs P might have a fancy for her herself?
Learn more
Anne Lister’s diaries – along with other items that belonged to her – are kept at the Calderdale Archives in Halifax.
Visit their website to find out more, and practice your mastery of Anne’s code on high-resolution digitised scans of every page.
