Nothing says I love you like a Window...

I believe everyone comes to a point in life when they are willing to reflect on the deeper meanings of the world and allow inspiration to flood their very soul… or they look at an obstacle and think ‘oh I can’t be bothered.’ This is the life-changing dilemma I found myself in as I stared at the (possibly maybe) 500-year-old wrought iron fence that surrounds St. Olave’s Church, in Marygate, York and weighed my options.

Do I climb the fence like a fanatic and run to the window desperately trying to snap a blurry picture like an amateur Loch Ness monster hunter? Or do I collect my wits and resign myself to flying halfway across the world some other time just to see a window? PoTayto, PoTahto. I will let those in the CCTV office answer that question. I have a story to tell. Spoiler Alert: I do get to see my window, eventually.

I was first introduced to little Mariana, aka Little M, aka Percy, aka V2, aka Miss Belcombe when I read the 23-Jul-1821 [Newcastle] journal excerpt in Helena Whitebread's book The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister. Mariana Lawton's niece and goddaughter? A Mini Mariana? Absolutely, sign me up! Not one but two M-s running around the planet? Could it get any better?! Come to find out, yes! And I’ll tell you why!

So, why does it get better? Picture it: York, 1851.

It’s the first time we see the name Elizabeth Hopkinson and Mariana Percy Belcombe (V2) on the same document. Hashtag Team PerBeth? I think I need to let that one marianate. 

For a quick primer on Percy and Elizabeth (and all the other Marianas) check out All the Marianas where you can hear the phenomenal voice of Mariana -- talking about the Marianas.

Percy fascinated me on so many levels, as did her aunt! She lived to be 80, just like M. She had a "lady friend," just like M. She was musically inclined and played the piano/organ just like M. And she served on the board of the York RSPCA for many years. 

It’s no wonder Elizabeth Hopkinson and Percy "lived together" from sometime between 1841 and 1851 until Percy's death in 1901. Upon Percy's death, she left "her" home to Elizabeth in her will. Elizabeth lived there until her death in 1911. That sure is some ‘friendship.’ I mean, I have a best friend, but I couldn’t spend every day for 50+ years with him... he listens to Disney tunes and thinks Britney Spears is better than Celine Dion. We wouldn’t last.

Back to my window. In all, I tried to see this window a total of six times across four separate trips. What sort of games was the universe playing on me? All I was asking for was the chance to see this window up close and personal and have an epiphanic experience on a new plane of self-realization resulting in the evolutionary transformation of my life. No pressure, right?

I finally get the opportunity to see my window on the morning of August 2nd, 2020. The church was back open and we’d already communicated our research intent and they were more than happy to assist. With masks on, and two of the most wonderful people on the planet by my side, we entered the church and I made my way to the front. I stood in front of the window looking up in awe thinking about its meaning and the feelings behind it and wondering what Mariana would have done for Anne if situations were different.

This is a perfect window for Percy. Although she lived to be 80 years old, participated in multiple charitable organizations, and traveled the country extensively, Percy suffered from multiple health conditions throughout her life. Her child and teen years were blanketed with illnesses, at times being confined to bed for several months in a row. These episodes are documented in correspondence between M and Anne as well as mentions in Anne’s journals.

6th time’s a charm, right? Did I get slightly misty-eyed but quickly blink away? Yes, I did. 

Did I have the life-changing, world-rocking experience that I had been relying on for so long? No, I didn’t. And it’s because I realized I’d already had. 

A lot happened on August 11th in the Annedom world. One of them was the passing of Little M. Getting to know her and her family and the adventures she (and her aunt #TeamMariana) has given me has already been life-changing. The window was just an added bonus.