Anne Lister - Diaries

Diaries

During her life, Anne wrote a four-million-word diary. The diary exists in 26 volumes and covers the years 1806-1840. Around one-sixth of the diary is encrypted in a simple code of her own devising combining letters from Greek and algebra,and describes quite graphically her lesbian nature and affairs, as well as the tactics she used for seduction. The diaries also contain her thoughts on the weather, social events, national events and her business interests. The majority of her diary deals with her daily life, and not merely her lesbianism. The code used in her diaries were deciphered by the last inhabitant of Shibden Hall, John Lister (1847-1933) and a friend of his, Arthur Burrell. When the content of the secret passages was revealed Burrell advised John Lister to burn all the diaries. Lister did not take this advice, but instead continued to hide Anne Lister's diaries behind a panel at Shibden Hall. Author Helena Whitbread has published some of the diaries in two volumes (one in 1988 and one in 1992). Their graphic nature meant at first they were believed by some to be a hoax, but documentary evidence has since established their authenticity.