My girlfriend pointed me to the following interesting article on the historic and social context of Anne Lister, specifically examining the promotional claim (for the series Gentleman Jack) that she was "the first modern lesbian."
The 19th Century Lesbian Made for 21st Century Consumption by Jeanna Kadlec
While I spotted one minor error of fact (regarding the fate of Mary Diana Dods) the article is generally excellent and quite accessible. Check it out.