A double-page spread in today's Daily Mail reports that the "scandalous" diaries of Anne Lister (1791-1840) of Shibden Hall, Halifax, are to be turned into a television drama series. For those who have not heard of Anne Lister (and probably not many people have, but that is about to change), a spot of simple Googling will turn up umpteen web pages about her. You can read some of the extracts online. Her diaries, some of them coded to disguise the sexual references, run to some 4 million words. If you enter "Anne Lister+Daily Mail" you can also read the full article - it's the very first website that appears. Because of her mannish appearance, clothes and lust for female lovers, Anne was dubbed by the nickname of "Gentleman Jack". She lived and behaved more like a man than a woman in an era when most upper-class women were more like Jane Austen's genteel heroines. She rampaged around the countryside, riding and shooting and seducing other women, also travelling widely on the Continent. She entered into a lesbian "marriage" with her last lover, a neighbouring landowner called Ann Walker, and lived with her at Shibden Hall. Anne died while visiting Russia in 1840 and was brought home by Ann Walker to be buried. Ann Walker can be found in the 1841 census, still living at Shibden Hall (HO107 Piece 1303 Book 11 Folio 17 Page 26). Anne Lister is to be played in the TV series by Maxine Peake, who has played Myra Hindley, the Moors Murderer, and also appeared in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies. -- Roy Stockdill Professional genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE