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Ann’s Artwork
By Ivana Nika and Diane Halford There is much talk in both Ann Walker’s and Anne Lister’s diaries about Ann sketching, painting and having drawing lessons (usually with Mr Browne or Mr Horner). There are no sketchbooks belonging to Ann known to have survived, although the hunt for one continues. There has also been no discovery of any proven images of Ann Walker herself yet. There are, however, several sketches, doodles and drawings known to have been completed by Ann Walker that still exist. This short blog will show you those images and the context in which they were created. Family History In the 1830s and 1840s Ann took a…
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Ann Walker’s 5 Days In London
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Ann’s Aunts, Uncles and Cousins
By Martin Walker [This page will be continuously updated as more is discovered about this family] Ann had numerous aunts, uncles and cousins and many are mentioned in her own diary, Anne Lister’s diaries and archive documents. This blog seeks to briefly introduce these family members so that the documents we are finding can be placed in Ann’s life more accurately. Ann’s parents were John Walker (1753-1823) and Mary Edwards (1763-1823); they were married on 18 June 1795 at Halifax Minster. Ann’s father had four brothers and sisters: Mary, William, Elizabeth and Ann (Aunt Ann of Cliff Hill). Only Elizabeth married – a Priestley – and had children. Of Ann’s…
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Ann’s Return
By Dorjana Širola and Diane Halford (Updated 14/5/2023) The Last Trip In the early morning of 20th June 1839, Ann Walker and Anne Lister left Shibden Hall together for the last time. The women loaded up their carriage and set off for a tour of Scandinavia and the Russian Empire. They first travelled to London, where they hired a married couple as servants, then crossed the Channel, continuing their overland journey to Hamburg, then sailed across to Copenhagen. They spent some time exploring Denmark, before sailing to Helsingborg and travelling around Sweden and Norway, with stays in Oslo, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Uppsala, as well as visiting Swedish copper, silver and…
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Adney Bridge, Shibden Park
Adney Bridge, a small bridge that leads from Shibden Hall to the Gatehouse in Shibden Park, was so named by Anne Lister. Anne had this bridge built in 1835 as she renovated her home, Shibden Hall, employing the services of John Harper, an architect from York. Adney was the nickname that Anne gave her wife, Ann Walker and mentioned this name throughout her diary entries which cover their relationship. It is sometimes spelled with an ”e” (Adney) and sometimes without (Adny). Anne and Ann took the sacrament together on Easter day in 1834 at Holy Trinity Goodramgate, York and considered themselves married. Their union is widely considered to be the…
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Slavery and Shibden Hall
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(Aunt) Ann Walker
Family Ann Walker was the youngest of five children born to William & Elizabeth Walker in 1757. Her siblings were Mary (1747-1822), William (1749-1804), Elizabeth (1750-1829) and John (1753-1823). 1 The Walkers were wealthy wool merchants, owned stock and a vast amount of property that only grew over time. Ann, like her sister Mary and brother William never married. Her sister Elizabeth married John Priestley and brother John married Mary Edwards. John & Mary were the parents of Ann Walker of Crow Nest. Ann Walker Sr was Ann’s aunt. After Ann’s sister Mary died in 1822, she was referred to as Mrs. Ann Walker or Ann Walker Sr. In…
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William Walker, Junior
By Ashleigh Kobevko and Deb Woolson Birth & Family William Walker was born in Halifax in 1748 to William Walker and Elizabeth Caygill. He was baptised in Lightcliffe on 3rd March 17481. Elizabeth Caygill was William’s father’s second wife, as his father’s first wife, Mary Wainhouse of Pye Nest, died after 7 years of marriage. Elizabeth Caygill was the sister of John Caygill, who donated the land where the Piece Hall was built. William Walker Junior had siblings; Mary born 1747, Elizabeth born 1750, John born 1753 and Ann born 1757. He was Ann Walker’s uncle. His father William Walker Sr (1713 – 1786) was a wealthy merchant and owner…
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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…
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Frances Penfold Walker Clarke (1803-1838) A Consequential Life
By Caroline Maillard (updated 23/6/2022) Birth and Early Years Frances (Fanny) Esther Penfold was born 26 August 1803 in Steyning, Sussex in southern England. She was the second daughter of the Reverend John Penfold (1772-1840) and Charlotte Brooks Penfold (1770-1843). Reverend Penfold held multiple roles with the Church of England. He was the Vicar of Steyning and the rector of the neighboring community of Pyecombe, and also served as the domestic chaplain to the Duke of Sussex in the early 1800’s.1 To this day the Steyning Parish Office is housed in Penfold Hall. Fanny was one of twelve children in her family, which may explain why she left home when…
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Restoring to Glory
Ann Walker’s memorial plaque restoration It was back in May 2019 that we first embarked upon creating a fitting memorial for Ann Walker. We quickly determined that it wouldn’t be possible to get a headstone or ground stone in the Old St Matthews Churchyard, as it is classed as a ‘closed churchyard‘. As such, we knew we would have to be creative in conceiving a memorial for her. Not long after our initial enquiries, we were put in touch with the Friends of Friendless Churches, an organisation who repair and maintain redundant churches in England and Wales. The tower of the old St Matthews Church was under their care, after…
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Catherine Worsley née Rawson (1803-1885) : a short biography
By Ivana NikaTwitter: @Ivana_Nika Catherine Rawson and Ann Walker spent three weeks in each other’s company in September 1832. Their families were related but we don’t know when exactly they became friends; their joint trip to the Lake District is the only one we know of so far. Catherine’s father, Stansfeld Rawson, had in 1829 begun building Wasdale Hall, his residence in the isolated neighbourhood of Wastwater lake in the heart of today’s Lake District National Park. The two young women may have gone there to distract themselves from the sometimes monotonous lives they led at home. They were both 29 at the time. ***** This engraving of Wasdale Hall…
