Sanger’s Timeline
C P Sanger's timeline of the novel (1926) is set out below. Dates where my reckoning varies from Sanger's are shown with an asterisk in brackets. The rest of Sanger's essay can be read on the Sanger page.
1757 | Before September | Hindley Earnshaw born | |
1762 | Before September | Edgar Linton born | |
1764 | Before September | Heathcliff born | |
1765 | Summer | Catherine Earnshaw born | |
Late | Isabella Linton born | ||
4 | 1771 | Summer, beginning of harvest | Heathcliff brought to Wuthering Heights |
1773 | Spring or early summer | Mrs Earnshaw dies | |
5 | 1774 | October | Hindley sent to college |
1777 | Hindley marries Frances | ||
October | Mr Earnshaw dies | ||
6 | October | Hindley returns with his wife | |
3 | October or November | The scene described by Catherine | |
6 | November, 3rd week, Sunday | Catherine & Heathcliff go to Thrushcross Grange | |
7 | Christmas Eve | Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights | |
Christmas Day | The Lintons visit Wuthering Heights | ||
8 | 1778 | June | Hareton Earnshaw born |
Late | Frances Earnshaw dies | ||
1780 | Summer | Edgar Linton calls at Wuthering Heights and proposes to Catherine | |
9 | Summer | Hindley returns drunk | |
Summer | Catherine tells Ellen about Edgar | ||
Summer | Heathcliff goes off | ||
Summer | Catherine gets wet through and catches fever | ||
Summer | Catherine, convalescent, goes to Thrushcross Grange. Mr and Mrs Linton catch the fever and die | ||
1783 | April (*March) | Edgar marries Catherine | |
10 | September | Heathcliff returns and sees Catherine | |
Autumn | Isabella falls in love with with Heathcliff, who visits the Grange from time to time | ||
11 | December (*January 1784) | Ellen sees Hareton | |
Heathcliff kisses Isabella | |||
1784 | Monday, 6 January (*10th) | Violent scene at Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff is turned out and Catherine goes on hunger strike | |
12 | Friday, 10 January (*13th) | Catherine delirious | |
Friday, 10 January (2am) (*13th) | Isabella elopes with Heathcliff | ||
13 | Monday, 13 March (*14th) | The Heathcliffs return to Wuthering Heights | |
14 | Wednesday, 15 March | Ellen goes to Wuthering Heights | |
15 | Sunday, 19 March | Heathcliff sees Catherine; violent scene | |
16 | Sunday, 19 March (midnight) | Cathy Linton born | |
Monday, 20 March (2am) | Catherine dies | ||
Tuesday, 21 March | Heathcliff puts a lock of hair in Catherine's locket | ||
Friday, 24 March | Catherine's funeral | ||
17 | Friday, 24 March (midnight) | Heathcliff nearly kills Hindley who tried to kill him | |
Saturday, 25 March | Isabella runs off | ||
17 | September | Linton Heathcliff born | |
September or October | Hindley dies. All his property is mortgaged to Heathcliff | ||
18 | 1797 | early June (*July) | Cathy goes to Penistone Crags and meets Hareton |
19 | June (*July) | Isabella dies. Edgar brings back Linton | |
20 | June (*July) | Linton is taken to live at Wuthering Heights | |
21 | 1800 | 20 March | Cathy and Ellen meet Hareton and go to Wuthering Heights where they see Linton |
March or April | Cathy and Linton correspond | ||
22 | Late October or November | Cathy sees Heathcliff who says that Linton is seriously ill | |
23 | Late October or November | Cathy and Ellen go to see Linton. Ellen catches cold and is ill for three weeks | |
24 | November | During Ellen's illness, Cathy visits Linton secretly | |
25 | 1801 | 20 March | Edgar too ill to visit his wife's grave |
June | Edgar declining | ||
26 | August | Ellen and Cathy go to meet Linton | |
27 | August, Thursday, a week later | They are kidnapped | |
Monday? | Cathy and Linton marry | ||
August or September | Ellen is released | ||
next Tuesday | Edgar is dying. He sends for Mr Green, the lawyer, who does not come | ||
28 | Wednesday, 3am, harvest moon | Cathy escapes and comes to Thrushcross Grange | |
Edgar dies | |||
29 | September, evening after the funeral | Heathcliff comes to Wuthering Heights [sic - should be Thrushcross Grange] and take away Cathy | |
30 | October (*September) | Linton dies. Hareton tries to please Cathy | |
1 | Late November | Lockwood calls at Wuthering Heights | |
2 | Next day | He calls again and has to stay the night. He finds Catherine's diary and sees Heathcliff's outburst | |
3 | Next day | Leaves at eight. Catches cold | |
4 | Next day | Ellen begins her story | |
10 | Three weeks later | Heathcliff sends grouse | |
One week later | Heathcliff calls | ||
15 | 1802 | January, one week later | Lockwood continues his account |
31 | January, second week | Lockwood calls at Wuthering Heights | |
32 | Beginning of February (*January) | Ellen goes to live at Wuthering Heights | |
March | Hareton has an accident | ||
Easter Monday | Cathy is nice to Hareton | ||
33 | Easter Tuesday | Scene about altering garden | |
After 18 March | Heathcliff getting odd | ||
34 | April | Heathcliff goes on hunger strike | |
May (*April) | Heathcliff dies | ||
September | Lockwood visits Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights | ||
1803 | 1 January | Cathy and Hareton marry |