Main content

The secret diaries of 'Gentleman Jack'

The discovery of the diaries of 19th-century Englishwoman Anne Lister, who wrote in secret code about her lesbian love affairs and has been called the 'first modern lesbian'

The discovery of the diaries of 19th-century Englishwoman Anne Lister, who wrote in secret code about her love affairs with women and has been called the first modern lesbian. A landowner and a businesswoman, she defied the conventions of the time and was nicknamed 'Gentleman Jack' in the Yorkshire town of Halifax where she lived, because of the way she dressed and acted. Louise Hidalgo spoke to Helena Whitbread, who discovered Anne Lister's diaries in 1983 and spent five years decoding them.
This programme is a rebroadcast.

Picture: portrait of Anne Lister, of Shibden Hall, Halifax (credit: Alamy)

Available now

9 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Wed 23 Jun 2021 07:50GMT
  • Wed 23 Jun 2021 11:50GMT
  • Wed 23 Jun 2021 17:50GMT
  • Thu 24 Jun 2021 02:50GMT

Podcast