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Ann Walker Stansfeld (née Sutherland)
Ann Walker Stansfeld (née Sutherland) was Ann Walker’s niece, Elizabeth & George’s youngest daughter. She signed her name as Annie in letters and was identified as such in some other documents. So, I will be referring to her as Annie in this blog. Early Years Ann Walker Sutherland was the 6th child of Capt. George M and Elizabeth Sutherland (née Walker), was born on 17 September 1837 and baptized the following month in Scotland.1 Anne Lister first mentioned her in her diary entry of 1st October 1837, when Ann Walker received a letter from her sister Elizabeth announcing her birth: “…dinner at 6 ¾ – coffee read the newspaper –…
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Hannah Heap: not just a servant
Hannah Heap – you may have never heard of her, but she was a beloved servant to the Walker family. Mentioned in Anne Lister’s diaries, we explore who Hannah was and where she is referred to in the archives. Birth and early life As with many people without money in the 1800s, her early life and birth are harder to track down. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know exactly when. We can estimate that it was between 1791 and 1796. This is because she is recorded in the 1841 census as 50 years old and in this census they rounded adults’ ages down to the nearest multiple of 5 (1). Working…
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The Inquisition of Ann Walker
By Ian Philp (Friends of St Matthew’s Churchyard) It is well known that Ann Walker was found to be of unsound mind in 1843. This short article looks only at who were the jurors at the hearing, and then what we know of how much it cost to look after her. The hearings were called “Inquisitions” meaning an enquiry, rather than an imitation of an earlier religious institution. The process began with a petition to the Lord High Chancellor. When this was granted, a jury would be required, and solicitors briefed. From records in West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale, we do know Ann Walker attended the hearing , along with…
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Sussex House and Ann Walker
It is common knowledge that in September 1843, Ann Walker was admitted to Terrace House in Osbaldwick under the care of Dr. Belcombe and whilst there was found to be of unsound mind. Documents show that Dr. Belcombe was paid for her maintenance until 13th April 1844. We believe that Ann was living with the Sutherlands in London from about early May 1844 onwards. Elizabeth became ill and died on 28th December 1844 at Abbey Lodge, Merton, Surrey. Read the timeline here. New documentation has been found revealing that Ann was in another private asylum called Sussex House, owned and operated by Dr Forbes Winslow in April 1845. Dr. Forbes…
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Remembering Ann’s Relatives
In remembrance of the relatives of Ann Walker who served in the two World Wars. “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.” Descendants of Ann’s cousin Mary Priestley and William Henry Rawson Many of Ann’s Rawson relatives, all direct descendants of her first cousin Mary Priestley, served during both World Wars. And, as far as we know, all of them survived. Frederick Philip Selwyn Rawson (1891-1947) – Cousin 3x removed Son of of John Selwyn Rawson.Grandson of Frederick Edward Rawson.Great-grandson of Mary Priestley &…
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“My dearest Elizabeth”
A workshop presented by Leila Straub, ALBW, Apr 4, 2022 Content 1. What letters do we have and what is Ann writing about? 2. What do the letters look like? 3. Ann’s style of writing 4. The process behind transcribing 5. Reading Ann’s handwriting 6. DIY Transcription 1. What letters do we have and what is Ann writing about? Ann Walker’s letters to her sister Elizabeth can be found in the Crow Nest papers, folder CN:103/4, in the West Yorkshire Archive. The collection contains letters written between 1832 and 1835. Most of the letters were written between Ann Walker and Elizabeth Sutherland but the folder also contains letters to/from…
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Ann’s Return
By Dorjana Širola and Diane Halford 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 iron mines.…
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John Snaith Rymer
A short biography of Ann Walker’s solicitor, John Snaith Rymer. By Ashleigh KobevkoTwitter: @adneydrt Early life and career John Snaith Rymer was born on 5th December 1806 in Wolsingham, Durham to Christopher Rymer and Jane Watson. The family moved 270 miles to London when Rymer was a boy.1 Rymer became a prominent Solicitor and on July 23rd 1853 was appointed to be a London Commissioner to administer oaths in the high court of Chancery by the Lord Chancellor. During his career, Rymer was a partner at the well-established firm Murray, Rymer & Murray and later Rymer, Murray, Rymer & Jackson. He married Sally ‘Emma’ Underhill in Kent on 2nd September…
