Catherine Earnshaw
(1765–1784)

Biographical

Catherine was born in the summer of 1765 to Mr and Mrs Earnshaw. A highly-spirited, spoilt and arrogant girl, she finds her soul mate in Heathcliff. They grow up together and fall in love. When older, Catherine becomes friends with Edgar and Isabella Linton, acquiring a lady-like manner, and she becomes haughty and arrogant. For social standing, she decides it would be better for her to marry Edgar than Heathcliff, and so she accepts Edgar's proposal. The wedding takes place at Thrushcross Grange in the spring or early summer of 1783, but this does not tame Catherine's wild nature, nor her passion for Heathcliff. Her marriage brings her and Heathcliff great unhappiness, and he, feeling betrayed, disappears for three years. They rekindle their friendship on his return, despite his worsened demeanour, and his desire for revenge against the two families. Edgar forces her to choose between him and Heathcliff, and she becomes despaired and anguished. Her health begins to fail and delirium sets in. She finally dies on the 20th of March 1784 after the birth of her daughter, Catherine, and is buried on the 21st of March (Good Friday), at the Gimmerton churchyard, with her husband and Heathcliff on either side of her. Adhering to her promise to never let Heathcliff rest until he joins her, she haunts him for the next 25 years. The locals believe that the couple roams the moors on wild nights.

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