Guest Blogs

Research blogs about Ann Walker written by guests.

  • Guest Blogs

    Politics in Gentleman Jack Season 2, Episode 5

    By Bethany Drysdale For many American viewers watching episode 5, the subject of 1830s British politics might seem a bit overwhelming. It helps to understand what was happening within the political culture of the United Kingdom and how it compares to our own system in the United States. I will attempt to sort out some of the bigger ideas presented in the episode and explain them in their real life context. It is important to consider the time in which Anne Lister lived and worked. She was progressive in some ideas, but very conservative in others. This leads us, as viewers, to see a different perspective of her in the…

  • Guest Blogs

    Ann Walker’s Coat of Arms – A Quest for Social Standing?

    By Lynn Shouls 25 February 2022 In 1832, when Ann Walker made a chance reacquaintance with neighbouring landowner Anne Lister, she was a single woman of considerable means. By that time, Anne had mingled with the aristocracy for several years, but had come to realise that she could not aspire to the riches or the status necessary to be fully accepted into their world (Whitbread 2020, 301). She decided that Ann Walker could fulfil her desires and financial aspirations, and began to court her that year. On Easter Sunday in March 1834, Ann and Anne took communion together in church to solemnise their commitment to one another.  In 1842, Ann…

  • Guest Blogs

    Ann’s Education

    By Ivana Nika Twitter: @Ivana_Nika Blog: https://sex-lies-and-boiled-milk.tumblr.com/ Ann’s and Elizabeth’s Education Nothing is known of Ann Walker’s early education. By the time Ann and her siblings were born, their parents could have afforded to provide them with decent schooling opportunities. In 1809, when Ann was 6, her father John inherited a substantial sum of money from his older brother which improved his children’s prospects for life. The family moved to Crow Nest where Elizabeth, Ann and John (and their sister Mary born in 1799, died in 1815) spent their childhood. It is not known (yet) if Elizabeth and Ann attended any kind of school that existed in Halifax or surrounding areas…

  • Guest Blogs

    William Rawson & Co. and the Birth of Rawson’s Bank

    By Martin Walkerhttps://twitter.com/ListeriaUKlisteria.uk Christopher Rawson really was Ann Walker’s cousin: Ann’s cousin Mary Priestley (daughter of Ann’s aunt Elizabeth Walker) married Christopher’s brother William in 1806. The “strategic marriages” of both the Rawson and Walker families meant that by the turn of the 19th century, both were very powerful and influential in Halifax. With the rise of the banking business in the first decade of the century, it seems that the Rawsons were able to consolidate their influence – perhaps becoming the dominant family in the Halifax area. Certainly, their business interests became more concentrated in Rawson hands as the inter-familial partnerships were disbanded. Could the 1806 return of Christopher…