Its 1832 in West Yorkshire, England -- the cradle of the evolving Industrial Revolution -- where landowner Anne Lister is determined to save her faded ancestral home, Shibden Hall, even if it means bucking societys expectations. In addition to reopening the coal mines, a part of Listers plan to help her family is to marry well. But the charismatic, single-minded Lister -- who dresses head-to-toe in black and charms her way into high society -- has no intention of marrying a man. "Gentleman Jack" examines Listers relationships with her family, servants, tenants and industrial rivals, and would-be wife. The real-life Anne Listers story was recorded in her diaries, and the most intimate details of her life are revealed for the series.