Kate Thorne
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| Portrayed by (Olivia Hallinan) | |
| Full Name | Catherine Thorne |
|---|---|
| Associated Noble House(s) | N/A |
| Date of Birth | 1791 |
| Father | John Robbins |
| Father's Rank | Milliner |
| Mother | Mary Robbins |
| Mother's Rank | Milliner |
| Town Residence | N/A |
| Year of Debut | N/A |
| Dowry | £500 |
| Year of Marriage | 1809 |
| Spouse | Alexander Thorne |
| Spouse's Rank | Gentleman Farmer |
| Issue | baby due 1812 |
Mrs. Alexander Thorne was born and brought up in the village of Lower Bramlington in Dorset, the daughter of the milliner and his wife. A pretty, useful girl, she was always popular and began walking out with Alexander Thorne, the eldest son of Alfred Thorne of Handforth Dean and his heir when she was sixteen. Friendly with the family, it was always expected she would one day marry Alex, which she did in 1809 at the age of 18. Their first child is expected in early 1812.
Since marrying Alex Thorne, Kate has made it her mission to step into the shoes of the mistress of Handforth Dean, since her mother-in-law is particularly useless. In doing so, she has clashed with Alex's elder sister, Adelaide, who, in Kate's opinion, is a little too used to getting her own way and needs to make way for the future mistress of the estate. Kate is bright, helpful, constantly useful, talented and understanding, not to mention a pious Christian who understands the need for charity.
Adelaide sees her a bit differently and considers her a self-absorbed, emotional drain and arch manipulator, keen to take the credit and have the title while leaving others to do the work. Their disagreements and animosity have contributed a large part to Adelaide's leaving Dorset.