Timeline
This page shows a timeline of the major events in the novel (with the occasional external historical event) and the approximate ages of the characters at the time. The accuracy of the dates varies with some, such as Cathy Linton’s birth, narrowed down to a particular time and date, while others can not be specified to more than a season in a year.
Details about defining the dates can be found on the Almanack page.
Where a year or month is shown in this style, it means that event it can be confidently inferred from the details in the novel. Other events are estimated and should be treated with caution.
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Year | Date | Characters | Ch | External | Ages |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1757 | June | Hindley Earnshaw born | |||
1757 | August | Ellen Dean born | |||
1760 | George III becomes king | ||||
1762 | January | Edgar Linton born | Hindley 4 | ||
1764 | July | Heathcliff born | Hindley 7; Ellen 6; Edgar nearly 2 | ||
1765 | May | Catherine Earnshaw born | Hindley nearly 8; Ellen 7; Heathcliff 11 months | ||
1765 | October | Isabella Linton born | Edgar 3 | ||
1771 | August | Mr Earnshaw brings Heathcliff to Wuthering Heights | 4 | Hindley 14; Ellen nearly 14; Heathcliff 7; Catherine 6; Joseph 41 | |
1773 | May | Mrs Earnshaw dies | 4 | Hindley 15; Ellen 15; Heathcliff 8; Catherine 7 | |
1773 | 16 Dec. | Boston Tea Party | |||
1774 | October | Hindley is sent off to college | 5 | Hindley 17; Heathcliff 10; Catherine 9 | |
1776 | American Declaration of Independence | ||||
1777 | October | Mr Earnshaw dies | 5 | Hindley 20; Ellen 20; Heathcliff 13; Catherine 12 | |
1777 | October | Hindley returns to Wuthering Heights with Frances | 6 | Frances 17 | |
1777 | November | Catherine stays at Thrushcross Grange | 7 | Hindley 20; Ellen 20; Edgar 15; Heathcliff 13; Catherine 12; Isabella 12 | |
1777 | Christmas Eve | Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights | 7 | ||
1778 | June | Hareton Earnshaw is born | 8 | Hindley 20; Frances 18; Heathcliff 13; Catherine 13 | |
1778 | September | Frances dies | 8 | Hindley 21; Frances 18; | |
1780 | August | Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights | 9 | Hindley 23; Ellen 22; Heathcliff 16; Catherine 15 | |
1780 | August | Mr and Mrs Linton die | 9 | Edgar 18; Isabella 14 | |
1783 | March | Catherine marries Edgar | 9 | Edgar 21; Catherine 17 | |
1783 | August | Cathy is conceived | Edgar 21; Catherine 17 | ||
1783 | September | Heathcliff returns | 10 | Edgar 21; Heathcliff 19; Catherine 18; Isabella almost 18 | |
1784 | January | Heathcliff clashes with Edgar | 11 | Edgar 21; Heathcliff 19; Catherine 18 | |
1784 | February | Heathcliff marries Isabella | 12 | Heathcliff 19; Isabella 18 | |
1784 | March | Heathcliff and Isabella return | |||
1784 | 20 March | Catherine dies giving birth to Cathy | 16 | Edgar 22; Heathcliff 19; Catherine 18 | |
1784 | September | Linton Heathcliff is born | 17 | Isabella 18 | |
1784 | September | Hindley dies | 17 | Hindley 27; Joseph 54 | |
1789 | Start of French Revolution | ||||
1796 | First smallpox inoculations | ||||
1797 | July | Cathy meets Hareton at Wuthering Heights | 18 | Hareton 19; Cathy 13 | |
1797 | July | Isabella dies | 17 | Heathcliff 32; Isabella 31; Linton 12 | |
1797 | July | Linton is taken to Thrushcross Grange and then Wuthering Heights | 19 | Linton 12 | |
1800 | 20 March | Cathy meets Heathcliff and Linton | 21 | Heathcliff 35; Hareton 21; Cathy 16; Linton 15 | |
1801 | August | Cathy marries Linton | 27 | Hareton 23; Cathy 17; Linton 16 | |
1801 | August | Edgar dies | 28 | Edgar 39 | |
1801 | September | Linton dies | Cathy 17; Linton 17 | ||
1801 | November | Mr Lockwood visits Wuthering Heights | 1 | Heathcliff 37; Hareton 23; Cathy 17; Ellen 44; Joseph 71 | |
1802 | January | Mr Lockwood returns to London | 31 | ||
1802 | April | Heathcliff dies | 34 | Heathcliff 37; Hareton 23; Cathy 18 | |
1802 | September | Mr Lockwood returns to Thrushcross Grange | 32 | Hareton 24; Cathy 18 | |
1803 | 1 January | Cathy marries Hareton | Hareton 24; Cathy 18 | ||
1805 | Battle of Trafalgar | ||||
1807 | Slave trade abolished |