Fitzwilliam headcanons!
Dec. 7th, 2020 04:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anghraineI felt like putting together dramatis personae of my headcanons for the Fitzwilliam and extended Darcy families, and by the time I was putting together a chart for the latter, was zooming merrily along. (Am I procrastinating grading? Maybe.)
Anyway, the actual current Fitzwilliam headcanons c. 1796 [assuming a 1795-6 calendar for P&P, which I do]:
CATHERINE, Dowager Countess of Ravenshaw—the very elderly grandmother to Lord Ravenshaw, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Lady Anne Darcy. She is reserved in person, though opinionated when she does speak, and maintains a lively correspondence with her family and friends while living quietly at one of the smaller Fitzwilliam estates.
EDWARD FITZWILLIAM, Earl of Ravenshaw—the wealthy and powerful (if short) head of the Fitzwilliam family. Lord Ravenshaw is interested in his near and extended family, Whig politics, and private theatricals. He is otherwise a severe but good-natured man with a good reputation among his peers and dependents alike.
LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH, née Lady Catherine Fitzwilliam—the elder of Lord Ravenshaw’s two sisters. Despite her arrogant, domineering personality, she is generally on good terms with the other Fitzwilliams, whom she regards with pride and something like affection; in particular, she genuinely loved and was loved by her sister, Lady Anne Darcy.
MARY, Countess of Ravenshaw—the earl’s gracious, accomplished, and generally accommodating wife. Lady Ravenshaw is conscious of coming from a family of lesser fortune but greater age than the Fitzwilliams, but also somewhat daunted by the strong personalities around her. She is, unexpectedly, an excellent speaker and happily joins in her husband’s theatrical enthusiasms.
RICHARD FITZWILLIAM, Viscount Rochford—the eldest of Lord and Lady Ravenshaw’s children. He is handsome, kind-hearted, and agreeable enough in his way, but withdrawn, shy, and intensely high-strung. At thirty-five, he has never married, courted, or even seriously flirted with anyone, preferring books and the company of those he already knows.
LADY ANNE BRYDGES, née Lady Anne Fitzwilliam—Lord and Lady Ravenshaw’s elder daughter. She was a generally pleasant but very stubborn girl, and remains a generally pleasant but very stubborn woman, though she has become more assertive among her easy-going husband and in-laws than among her own intense and generally forceful relations.
LADY MARY CARLISLE, née Lady Mary Fitzwilliam—Lord and Lady Ravenshaw’s younger daughter. She bears a strong physical and temperamental resemblance to her sister Anne, though she is more reserved and abrupt. She was married young to a baron’s heir, but he predeceased his father and Lady Mary returned to her family with her two daughters.
COLONEL THE HONOURABLE JOHN FITZWILLIAM—the younger son of Lord and Lady Ravenshaw, and at thirty, their youngest child. While conscious of his comparatively disadvantaged position among his relatives, he is very loyal and close to them, especially his Darcy cousins. He is usually easy-going, but strong-minded and very pragmatic, which won the approval of his uncle Darcy.
ANNE DE BOURGH—the only child and heir of Sir Lewis and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and thus niece to Lord Ravenshaw and Lady Anne Darcy. This Anne is quite genuinely frail, unlike the usually hearty Fitzwilliams, and has been sheltered to the point of suffocation by her mother, but also over-indulged by her. At twenty-eight, she is passive and resentful of slights, but not malicious.
FITZWILLIAM DARCY—the only son of Christopher Darcy, a wealthy, influential Fitzwilliam ally, and Lady Anne Darcy, the beloved sister of Lord Ravenshaw and Lady Catherine. Their affection extends easily to Darcy, whose personality falls well within the ordinary Fitzwilliam range—proud, intelligent, and forceful, but combining reserve and awkwardness with a basic good nature and competence.
GEORGIANA DARCY—the younger child and only surviving daughter of Christopher and Lady Anne Darcy. Her brother was the indulged youngest of the Fitzwilliam grandchildren until Georgiana’s birth twelve years after his own, yet he doted on her from that moment, as did their relatives and servants. She is nevertheless not at all spoiled, but shy, anxious, and uncertain of herself.
SOPHIA CARLISLE—the quiet, intelligent daughter of Lady Mary Carlisle and the Hon. Stephen Carlisle. Her father’s sudden death left her family as something like dependents on the new heir, which grated on Lady Mary. She received permission to return to her father’s household with the girls, and Sophia and Margaret were gladly welcomed by the Fitzwilliams.
MARGARET “MEG” CARLISLE—the younger daughter of Lady Mary Carlisle and the Hon. Stephen Carlisle. Meg is more outgoing and high-spirited than Sophia in general, but prone to fits of absent-minded silence. As the first children living at Ecclesford in a generation, Sophia and Margaret are particularly beloved by their grandparents, uncles, and most of their cousins.
---------------------
There are notes, of course:
When I was re-conceptualizing my Fitzwilliam headcanons, I had the idea of using an actual title invented by Austen, and then actually having the earl be that person and going from there. So:
- The dowager Lady Ravenshaw here = the grandmother whose death puts an end to the theatricals in MP
- Lord Ravenshaw here = P&P’s Lord ___ + MP’s Lord Ravenshaw, “one of the most correct men in England”
- Lady Catherine = P&P’s Lady Catherine (of course)
- Mary, Lady Ravenshaw = MP’s Lady Ravenshaw, who was playing Agatha very well
- Lord Rochford = Colonel Fitzwilliam’s implied older brother in P&P
- Lady Anne Brydges = mine, all mine!
- Lady Mary Carlisle = the mother of the children whose existence necessitates the governess (playing the cottager’s wife) in MP
- Colonel Fitzwilliam = P&P’s Colonel Fitzwilliam
- Anne de Bourgh, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Georgiana Darcy = P&P
- Sophia and Margaret Carlisle = children overseen by MP’s governess
Anyway, the actual current Fitzwilliam headcanons c. 1796 [assuming a 1795-6 calendar for P&P, which I do]:
CATHERINE, Dowager Countess of Ravenshaw—the very elderly grandmother to Lord Ravenshaw, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Lady Anne Darcy. She is reserved in person, though opinionated when she does speak, and maintains a lively correspondence with her family and friends while living quietly at one of the smaller Fitzwilliam estates.
EDWARD FITZWILLIAM, Earl of Ravenshaw—the wealthy and powerful (if short) head of the Fitzwilliam family. Lord Ravenshaw is interested in his near and extended family, Whig politics, and private theatricals. He is otherwise a severe but good-natured man with a good reputation among his peers and dependents alike.
LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH, née Lady Catherine Fitzwilliam—the elder of Lord Ravenshaw’s two sisters. Despite her arrogant, domineering personality, she is generally on good terms with the other Fitzwilliams, whom she regards with pride and something like affection; in particular, she genuinely loved and was loved by her sister, Lady Anne Darcy.
MARY, Countess of Ravenshaw—the earl’s gracious, accomplished, and generally accommodating wife. Lady Ravenshaw is conscious of coming from a family of lesser fortune but greater age than the Fitzwilliams, but also somewhat daunted by the strong personalities around her. She is, unexpectedly, an excellent speaker and happily joins in her husband’s theatrical enthusiasms.
RICHARD FITZWILLIAM, Viscount Rochford—the eldest of Lord and Lady Ravenshaw’s children. He is handsome, kind-hearted, and agreeable enough in his way, but withdrawn, shy, and intensely high-strung. At thirty-five, he has never married, courted, or even seriously flirted with anyone, preferring books and the company of those he already knows.
LADY ANNE BRYDGES, née Lady Anne Fitzwilliam—Lord and Lady Ravenshaw’s elder daughter. She was a generally pleasant but very stubborn girl, and remains a generally pleasant but very stubborn woman, though she has become more assertive among her easy-going husband and in-laws than among her own intense and generally forceful relations.
LADY MARY CARLISLE, née Lady Mary Fitzwilliam—Lord and Lady Ravenshaw’s younger daughter. She bears a strong physical and temperamental resemblance to her sister Anne, though she is more reserved and abrupt. She was married young to a baron’s heir, but he predeceased his father and Lady Mary returned to her family with her two daughters.
COLONEL THE HONOURABLE JOHN FITZWILLIAM—the younger son of Lord and Lady Ravenshaw, and at thirty, their youngest child. While conscious of his comparatively disadvantaged position among his relatives, he is very loyal and close to them, especially his Darcy cousins. He is usually easy-going, but strong-minded and very pragmatic, which won the approval of his uncle Darcy.
ANNE DE BOURGH—the only child and heir of Sir Lewis and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and thus niece to Lord Ravenshaw and Lady Anne Darcy. This Anne is quite genuinely frail, unlike the usually hearty Fitzwilliams, and has been sheltered to the point of suffocation by her mother, but also over-indulged by her. At twenty-eight, she is passive and resentful of slights, but not malicious.
FITZWILLIAM DARCY—the only son of Christopher Darcy, a wealthy, influential Fitzwilliam ally, and Lady Anne Darcy, the beloved sister of Lord Ravenshaw and Lady Catherine. Their affection extends easily to Darcy, whose personality falls well within the ordinary Fitzwilliam range—proud, intelligent, and forceful, but combining reserve and awkwardness with a basic good nature and competence.
GEORGIANA DARCY—the younger child and only surviving daughter of Christopher and Lady Anne Darcy. Her brother was the indulged youngest of the Fitzwilliam grandchildren until Georgiana’s birth twelve years after his own, yet he doted on her from that moment, as did their relatives and servants. She is nevertheless not at all spoiled, but shy, anxious, and uncertain of herself.
SOPHIA CARLISLE—the quiet, intelligent daughter of Lady Mary Carlisle and the Hon. Stephen Carlisle. Her father’s sudden death left her family as something like dependents on the new heir, which grated on Lady Mary. She received permission to return to her father’s household with the girls, and Sophia and Margaret were gladly welcomed by the Fitzwilliams.
MARGARET “MEG” CARLISLE—the younger daughter of Lady Mary Carlisle and the Hon. Stephen Carlisle. Meg is more outgoing and high-spirited than Sophia in general, but prone to fits of absent-minded silence. As the first children living at Ecclesford in a generation, Sophia and Margaret are particularly beloved by their grandparents, uncles, and most of their cousins.
---------------------
There are notes, of course:
When I was re-conceptualizing my Fitzwilliam headcanons, I had the idea of using an actual title invented by Austen, and then actually having the earl be that person and going from there. So:
- The dowager Lady Ravenshaw here = the grandmother whose death puts an end to the theatricals in MP
- Lord Ravenshaw here = P&P’s Lord ___ + MP’s Lord Ravenshaw, “one of the most correct men in England”
- Lady Catherine = P&P’s Lady Catherine (of course)
- Mary, Lady Ravenshaw = MP’s Lady Ravenshaw, who was playing Agatha very well
- Lord Rochford = Colonel Fitzwilliam’s implied older brother in P&P
- Lady Anne Brydges = mine, all mine!
- Lady Mary Carlisle = the mother of the children whose existence necessitates the governess (playing the cottager’s wife) in MP
- Colonel Fitzwilliam = P&P’s Colonel Fitzwilliam
- Anne de Bourgh, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Georgiana Darcy = P&P
- Sophia and Margaret Carlisle = children overseen by MP’s governess
