Lady Catherine Battersly
Name Catherine Battersly
Position The Dowager Marchioness
Rank Lady
Character Information
| Gender | Female | |
| Age | 62 |
Physical Appearance
| Height | 5'6" | |
| Weight | 131LBS | |
| Hair Color | White | |
| Eye Color | Dark Blue | |
| Physical Description | Catherine is a typical looking Russian woman. Her hair is always tidy and styled, and she wears what she feels are fashionable clothes appropriate to a woman of her age. |
Family
| Spouse | Cecil Battersly, 2nd Marquess of Ribble (Deceased) | |
| Children | Archibald Battersly, 3rd Marquess of Ribble | |
| Father | Count Ivan Reznikov (Deceased) | |
| Mother | Countess Ekaterina Reznikov (Deceased) | |
| Brother(s) | Count Alexei Reznikov Ivan Reznikov Peter Reznikov |
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| Sister(s) | Tatiana Zamolochikova Elena Sobakina |
Personality & Traits
| Personal History | Ekaterina Ivanovna Reznikova was born on a very overcast day in June in 1839. Her parents, Count Ivan Reznikov and his wife , had already welcomed two boys, making Ekaterina the third and last of their children. As a young girl Katya, as she was known to her family and friends, spent much of her time among her brothers at the family estate, Reznikov Hall . Though she was well trained by Governesses, and her mother in the way of female graces,her father was a learned man and enjoyed reading with her and having discussions with her on topics women wouldn’t usually speak about, and her brothers treated her as if she were one of them. Ekaterina spoke French and English fluently by the time she was 10. By the time she was 16, she was a rather well rounded lady with all the good graces her mother could bestow, all the opinions of her father, and a tough skin courtesy of her brothers. When she was 17, while visiting London, she was introduced to Cecil Battersly. Almost immediately her mother and that of Lord Cecil set to work preparing the match. A few months later, Ekaterina Reznikova and Lord Cecil Battersly married in a ceremony in Marnemouth on Ribble, near the Battersly family seat of Thrushstone Park. Count Reznikov paid a sizable dowry for their only daughter, and agreed that an annual allowance would be paid from the Reznikov estate for the entirety of Ekaterina’s life. The newlywed couple took their honeymoon in Paris. A far cry from what either were familiar with , it was nice to experience the culture and history of a new place. Ekaterina became pregnant with the first of her brood soon after. Archibald Battersly was born at Thrushstone Park. He was immediately the delight of Katya’s life (Though in British society she was known as Catherine) , who had never spent any real amount of time around children. Her first born was doted on. Catherine had found a purpose in motherhood, and found nothing more rewarding than nurturing her children as they grew. 1868 was a year filled with change for Catherine as it marked the death of the First Marquess of Ribble, Lord Alexander Battersby and his wife just weeks apart. Her husband, Cecil, was no longer Earl of Marnemouth, his father’s death elevated him to Marquess of Ribble in his own right and Catherine became the Marchioness. Under the rule of Cecil and Catherine, Thrushstone Park became a hub of entertainment for the upper class of Lancashire, the gardens in particular were Catherine’s crowning glory, though her husband found pride in the amassing of the house’s Library. Catherine spent much of her time as Marchioness of Ribble as patron to various charities and foundations, taking a particular interest in the plight of orphans in Lancashire. Cecil spent much of his time away from the estate, having been tasked with work in Sudan by the Foreign Office. In 1884, Catherine received word that her husband was killed in the siege of Khartoum. Catherine was devastated, as was the rest of their family. In an instant her entire life changed. She was no longer the Marchioness, she was now a Dowager and that was a massive evolution that she hadn’t expected so soon. Her son, now Marquess of Ribble, was gracious enough to allow his mother to stay at Thrushstone while she grieved. But soon, Catherine was moved from the great house into the nearby Dower House. The House was closer to the village but still boasted views of the River Ribble, which pleased Catherine. After some months of forced solitude, Catherine renewed her vows to serve Thrushstone and assist her son in the running of his estate. |