Joseph “George” Booth
Joseph Booth, a servant associated with Anne Lister and Ann Walker, sought employment in a 1842 letter after his marriage. His early life and education were supported by Lister, who valued his family. The blog details their relationship while exploring his later challenges, reflecting on Lister's kindness and guidance.
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Elizabeth Mackay Sinclair Wemyss (née Sutherland)
Mary (née Edwards) Walker of Crow Nest
Who was Ann Walker's mother? Read about Mary Walker through the eyes of others in Halifax society.
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Elizabeth Mackay Sinclair Wemyss (née Sutherland)
Ann’s Early Travels
It has been thought that Ann Walker never travelled, that she never left her home. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Scarborough The earliest mention of Ann taking a trip is 12 July 1821 in Anne Lister’s diary. She wrote that the Walker family was going to Scarborough for three weeks. Unfortunately, this entry is the only record found to date of this trip. Learn more about Scarborough here. “Between 12 and 1 Miss Anne Walker and her brother (of Crownest) called and staid 1/2 hour they are all going to Scarborogh [sic] for 3 weeks on Saturday” West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale SH:7/ML/E/5/0042 Trip to Weymouth On 4…
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Slavery and Shibden Hall
Ann’s Shibden in the News
It’s unknown exactly what it was like for Ann Walker to live in her matrimonial home after losing her wife, Anne Lister. The memories of their years together at Shibden Hall were probably ever present on her mind. Anyone who has been widowed, knows that feeling of deep emptiness and hopefully, over time, the eventual comfort of those precious memories. For Ann, the loss happened on foreign soil and it took months for her wife’s body to return to Halifax. Author’s Note, this blog will cover some events surrounding Shibden Hall during Ann’s time there after Anne’s death that can be traced through newspaper articles. Crime was not an unusual…
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Slavery and Shibden Hall
The Inman Family
Marian Lister was close to her Inman cousins. Here’s more information on them. Lister Inman Connection Marian & Anne Lister’s aunt Fanny (their mother Rebecca’s sister) married William Appleton in 1795.1 Their daughter, Marian’s cousin Mary Anne, was born in 17952 and married John Inman, a surgeon, in 1813.3 The Inmans had at least 3 children: Sarah (1820)4 Mary Ferreman (1824)5 and Eskricke John (1828).6 The Inman children were second cousins to Marian and played an important role in her life through the years. They would visit Marian and she them, travelled together and after she left Shibden Hall, their presence was a constant. Inman Cousins Sarah Inman Sarah is…
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Slavery and Shibden Hall
“Marian Left Us” The Story of Marian Lister
Authors Note Many have a preconceived idea of who Marian Lister was because of what little is known of her from the television drama Gentleman Jack and from Anne Lister’s perspective. Anne Lister and her younger and only sister Marian had a contentious relationship. Anne often wrote very critically about Marian in her journal yet at other times somewhat affectionately. Marian lived another 42 years after her sister’s death. Reading letters written by Marian gives a glimpse into her personality. This blog will shed some light on her relationship with her sister, sister-in-law Ann Walker and her Inman cousins. Early Life Marian Lister was born and baptized in October 1797…
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Elizabeth Mackay Sinclair Wemyss (née Sutherland)
John Walker, Senior
Early Family Ann Walker’s father, John, was the fourth child born to William and Elizabeth (née Caygill) Walker and was baptized in 1753.1 His siblings were Mary (1747-1822),2 William (1749-1804),3 Elizabeth (1750-1829)4 and Ann (1757-1847).5 William Walker was a wealthy worsted manufacturer and also served as a Justice of the Peace for West Riding.6 John’s mother Elizabeth died in 17677 and his father William many years later in 1786.8 Marriage & Children John married Mary Edwards in 1795 at St. John the Baptist Church in Halifax.1 Mary was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (née Lees) Edwards of Halifax. John lived at Crownest, his family’s estate and Mary at Pyenest.…
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Elizabeth Mackay Sinclair Wemyss (née Sutherland)
“…some little whispers…”
Robert Parker, the Halifax-based solicitor for both Ann Walker and Anne Lister, maintained a regular correspondence spanning 17 years with his father, Alexander North Parker, who lived at Heaning, Lancashire. During this letter-writing exchange, Robert was residing in the centre of Halifax. Amongst numerous business and legal exchanges, current affairs, health and family matters, the letters reveal some fascinating and amusing anecdotes of life in Halifax in the 1820s to 1830s, mentioning many notable families and the goings on in their lives. These letters can be found at the West Yorkshire Archive Service in Calderdale. This article will cover the portions of letters that include links to the Walker and…
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Elizabeth Mackay Sinclair Wemyss (née Sutherland)
Ann Walker in Paris
By Julie Gonnet During her 1834 honeymoon trip with Anne Lister, Ann Walker discovered Paris. Through her diary and her letters, we can follow in her footsteps and get her first impressions of a foreign capital. As she prepared to leave on her honeymoon trip with Anne Lister in June 1834, Ann Walker merely told her relatives she was “going to Paris for a few weeks”1. Her journey took her far beyond, across the whole of France and as far as Italy and Switzerland, but she did stay in the French capital from 17th to 23rd of June, and from 21st to 24th of August, on her way back to…
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Slavery and Shibden Hall
(Aunt) Mary Walker
A look into the life of the lesser known of Ann Walker’s paternal unmarried aunts, Mary Walker. She spent her life living at Crownest and Cliff Hill. In this blog, we separate the two Ann Walker’s (niece and aunt) by using the names Ann Walker and Aunt Ann Walker. Family Mary was the oldest child of William & Elizabeth Walker, born in 1747. Her siblings were :1 Her brother, John, was Ann Walker’s father. She was baptized 17 September 1747 at St Matthew’s Church in Lightcliffe.2. The Walker family were wealthy wool merchants and owned a vast amount of property. Elizabeth, Mary’s mother, was born a Caygill. Her brother…
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Elizabeth Mackay Sinclair Wemyss (née Sutherland)