#belcombe

The obsession of those who love Gentleman Jack (2019), has the foundations of the great passion with which it was conceived by its creator who worked 20 years to make it.

In Unforgiven (2009), written also by Wainwright, a letter from Miss Lister arrives to the Belcombe family.

Mariana Belcombe's last name after she married is Lawton. And she and her marriage is the reason why Anne Lister wore black for more than 16 years.

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Fahrenheit 72° and fine morning at 8 - breakfast at 9 ½ - Mrs. Duffin gone at 6 ¼ on horseback to spent the day at Newton Kyme with her brother and his family at the Fairfaxes - Off at 11 10/.. with Mr. Duffin over the bridge - went direct to Mrs. Belcombe’s sat some time with her and Mariana - and Stephens and Rose Bagshaw and little Mariana - then left Mr. Duffin there and went home with Steph to look at his German grammars &c Renden’s, and exercises and grammar by M. Bernay - George had just brought back Christion on poisons of which I had read the 1st 92 ppages out of ppages 697 very interesting work - worth my buying - Left Mr. Duffin’s manuscript book on cholera morbus &c with Steph till tomorrow - he thought the subject sensibly treated and that ‘Mr Duffin must have been a clever man in his middle life’ - Mariana soon came and Mrs. H.S.B [Henry Stephen Belcombe] Steph went away, and Mariana and I remained some time - then sauntered up Coney Street and bought gloves then called and sat a long while with Mrs. H.S.B [Henry Stephen Belcombe] at their lodgings (Stephenson’s Coney Street) all the business of whether little Mariana should stay another year or not at her present school at Leamington talked over - I for her staying another year when she will only be 11 - off from there (Mrs. Gilbert Crompton had called while we were there) went into the minster - there sauntered up and down near Mrs. Belcombe’s settling what to do - Mariana will go with me tomorrow - all the votes but Steph’s for Holland - fixed upon it in preference to the Giant’s Causeway - then Mariana and I sat a little tête-à-tête and then with Mrs. Milne talking it over 

I think π [Mariana] looked as if she thought Mrs. M [Milne] and I understood each other pretty well so we did much better than π [Mariana] would have liked had she known she left us for a moment and I said something about her keeping me in order and scolding me said she had just been doing so (we had been [laughing?] and I had somehow taken the opportunity of saying when we were talking of debts and my owning to one hundred and her saying I had two hundred of hers that I had left her but it was not quite done yet one hundred a year after my aunts death and as long as she was L [Charles Lawton’s] widow which she laughed and said was very hard) and Mrs. M [Milne] replied with a significant look then come to me I wont scold oh oh thought I but I am not quite so simple I staid behind a moment to wish goodbye and kissed her with a gentle pressure she then drew me to her again and I kissed her again with a little stronger pressure and darted off I might have her easily enough but we are fairly matched now for I have as little real feeling in the business as she can have I do not care a farthing for her and she will have her work set to get hold of me - 

Walked home pretty quickly and came in at 5 ½ - dinner at 5 ¾ - afterwards wrote and sent at 7 ½ 2 ppages  ½ sheet note paper to my aunt at Shibden to say Mariana would be my companion we should arrive between 7 and 6 to dinner are going a little tour for a fortnight or 3 weeks and should be off the next day, Wednesday - then sat a little in my room looking over maps of Ireland and favourite work on ditto that Todd had sent me to look at - tea at 8 ½ - Mrs. Duffin returned at 9 all the Fairfaxes and Marshes coming to luncheon tomorrow at 1 about the time I shall be off - offered to change the hour for fear of inconvenience to the Duffin’s by removing my things and the bustle of departure and Mariana’s not being able to get out to stay more than a few minutes - on which Mrs. Duffin got huffy and I too - ‘did I not think Mariana would be delighted to see Mrs. Marsh and Ana? &c &c - then went to Mrs. Duffin’s room at 10 10/.. and she kept me till 11 ½ sparring at 1st and threatening a quarrel so that Miss. Greenup wisely went off - at last, when this would not do, Mrs. Duffin got into tears sure I should never forget Saturday &c &c and I got mollified.

Margin: saying to myself well! I am completely talked out and we parted the best friend in the world - fine day - Fahrenheit 70 ½ ° now at 12 ½ tonight when had just done the whole of the above of today -

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a cross last night thinking of π [Mariana] very fine sunny morning - Fahrenheit 73° at 8 ¾ a.m. sat reading a few ppages (from p.age 33. 847.) Chistison on poisons - Down to breakfast at 9 ½ - at 10 ½ went to Mrs. Anne and Miss. Gage for ½ hour -  then over the bridge with Mrs. Duffin - she went to the spinning school and I to Mrs. Henry Robinson - introduced to her husband and saw her baby and sat ½ hour, and then went to Mrs. Best and sat with her and Ellen above ½ hour then to the Black Swan - IN [Isabella Norcliffe] and the 3 Dalton’s not arrive at 1 ¾ - then to Mrs. Henry Belcombe Mariana and Mrs. Milne and William had arrived between 1 and 2 - he very much better than expected Miss. Belcombe came in and brought little Mariana - Then to the Black Swan and meeting Mrs. Duffin and Miss. Greenup, all waited there some time - then to Mrs. H Robinsons to them all - begged Bell to offer my play ticket to Ellen Best for tonight, the ticket to be got on entrance - Miss. Greenup to go with IN [Isabella Norcliffe] and the Daltons - home at 3 55/.. - 

to my great astonishment Mr. Duffin attacked me very crossly with my having more luggage than all the Marshes what had I so much for said I had only what belonged to the carriage and spoke rather annoyedly in return Came upstairs put on my habit for riding in the evening - on going down Mr. Duffin said something that renewed the luggage story I said it would all be sent off this evening a man was coming for the imperials &c and I had ordered them to be emptied at Miss. Pearsons and all the things to be left there for them all to be put on the carriage again there Mr. Duffin was exceedingly bearish about it when Mrs. Duffin tried to soften saying oh sir &c &c he replied very crossly he did not like to have his house filled I had better send them off &c all this so annoyed that Mrs. D’s [Duffin’s] ill judged talking and making us kiss and shake hands twice  made me really from mortification and annoyance and I suppose wounded pride let fall a tear or two and blow my nose perpetually and never or rarely spoke luckily Miss. Greenup the whole first part of dinner was having her hair done but when she came down saw something was the matter for all which I inwardly swore at the whole thing at them and myself too nothing shall keep me beyond tuesday and may I never trouble Mr. Duffin again -

Letter from Mariana Leamington forwarded from Shibden to say Charles thinks of going to Paris about the 20th of next month - she may feel it right to offer to go to Scarbro’ - knows not what she can do - as we walked along this morning Mrs. Duffin had begged me not to be the means of taking Mariana away - and her family jealous of my influence over her - they a Belcombe had only hoped on hearing of my eating no meat that I should not get Mariana into the same way - impossible! said I - well then it was Mrs. Belcombe herself who had said so to Mrs. Duffin all this and the manner of it annoyed me exceedingly and I declared they might settle it among them I would have nothing to do with it and would keep aloof - not go this evening but wrote Mariana a note all which Mrs. Duffin thought I was very right in - I therefore left a message with Mrs. H. Belcombe to excuse myself from going this evening saying I had promised to ride - and hinted that I had been so pothered about their fears of my influence &c it was not my intention to wear their door stones too much and begged Mrs. H.S.B [Henry Stephen Belcombe] to get Mariana as quietly as she could from the smell of paint - Came up to my room after dinner and wrote full ½ short note to Mrs. Norcliffe regretting her not having got my note before IN [Isabella Norcliffe] set off - explaining and saying they were all arrived between 1 and 2 today, and William very much better than expected - had eaten heartily of beef steaks immediately on his arrival - wrote 1 page of ½ sheet note to my aunt to say I was in a great hurry - arrived next to dinner and should be at home (in the carriage which would be done) to dinner on Tuesday - mentioned M-’s [Mariana’s] arrival and William Milne’s being so very much better than expected - Off on Mrs. Duffin’s mare to ride with Mr. Duffin at 6 ½ - went to Mrs. Belcombe’s - Mr. Duffin would not dismount - merely inquired after - sent for Mariana who came down just told her I should be off on Tuesday - should breakfast with IN [Isabella Norcliffe] tomorrow and would see her [Mariana] at 10 ½ or 11 and stay from church - then rode to Haslington and Fulford, and home at 8 10/.. - tea - looked over a newspaper when candles came and all moved off at 10 - Mrs. Duffin would have me stay with her in her room -

till after Mr. Duffin was in bed then he asleep she began explaining I said I certainly was never more astonished hurt and annoyed but as Mr. Duffin had said he really meant nothing and was sorry there should be no more of it put it off by declaring the half of what happened at dinner was influenza that seemed to me coming on - Miss. Greenup came home after eleven and Mrs. Duffin came up with us and into my room and staid talking of the Belcombes asked if we had ever had any quarrel that they were so jealous and we all seemed not as we used to be I said oh no quarrel were all very good friends for aught I knew but all their pother and jealousy annoyed me they had better break up π [Mariana’s] and my friendship at once and perhaps I could get over it Tib was worth them all &c &c so that poor Mrs. Duffin began to beg for π [Mariana] saying she was not to blame &c &c. at last Macs bell rang and Mr. Duffin ran down - 

Mrs. Duffin left me at 11 ¾ - then till 12 ¾ wrote all the above of today - very fine day - very hot - Fahrenheit 72° now at 12 ¾ tonight on the dressing table - In passing the post office Mrs. Duffin’s groom put in my letter to my aunt at Shibden and my letter to ‘Mrs. Norcliffe Langton hall, Malton’ 1 page ½ sheet note to my aunt and 3 ppages and under the wrapper short note to Mrs. Norcliffe