Susannah Hutchinson
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| Portrayed by Rachael Henley | |
| Full Name | Susannah Hutchinson |
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| Associated Noble House(s) | none |
| Date of Birth | 7th August, 1791 |
| Father | William Hutchinson |
| Father's Rank | middling gentry |
| Mother | Martha Hutchinson (nee Goodnow) |
| Mother's Rank | middling gentry |
| Town Residence | 9 Gracechurch Street |
| Year of Debut | 1811 |
| Dowry | about £1,000 |
Sukey Hutchinson is the oldest surviving daughter of a country gentleman and his devout wife. She currently resides in London with her older brother, Benjamin Hutchinson, a banker. Both the Hutchinson siblings are played by Amy.
Contents
Family
Father: William Hutchinson, born 1760, a minor landowner
Mother: Martha Goodnow, born 1765, a parson’s daughter
Brothers: William, born 1786 [died 1794]; Benjamin, born 1788; George, born 1796; Matthew, born 1800; Robert, born 1803
Sisters: Alice, born 1789 [died 1794]; Sarah, born 1793 [died 1794]; Jenny, born 1798; Martha, born 1801
Early Life: 1791-1810
Sukey's large family is nonetheless a close one. Her parents are intelligent and affectionate, though by necessity frugal. Part of their closeness derives from shared troubles; a fever carried off three of the Hutchinson siblings in 1794 and left one brother, Ben, permanently weakened. While Ben has a vivid memory of these events, Sukey has almost none at all, except for the vague idea of seeing her father weeping at a still bedside. As the two children who lived through the fever, Sukey and Ben grew up doting on one another. Ben is still extremely protective of his rambunctious sister, and when Mr. Hutchinson managed to send his oldest son to university, Ben wrote to Sukey regularly. Upon leaving school, Ben obtained a position in a London bank through the kindness of a friend, forcing a further absence. Sukey felt the pangs of separation less acutely than did her brother, and found herself quite content in her country life. Friendly and curious, she delighted in the company of her family and friends, played games in the stone circles near their village, engaged in amateur theatricals, and occasionally made trouble. At around age thirteen, having developed a crush on the young village parson, she sought to attract his notice by arriving at church in a hat overflowing with fresh wildflowers. Unbeknownst to her, however, a colony of bees had recently taken up residence in the rafters, and soon descended to swarm her, causing considerable disruption in the middle of the sermon. Though Sukey has retained her affinity for creative ornamentation, real flowers no longer feature so prominently. Another of her curious childhood hobbies consisted of imitating the sounds of barnyard animals. She still considers it one of her finest accomplishments that she can command the attention of any sheep or pig she encounters. Her young life was also full of the more pleasant tones of Dibdin, Gay, and even Mozart. Mrs. Hutchinson plays the pianoforte and saw to it that all her children had the opportunity to experience music. As a result, Ben grew accomplished at the violin, Sukey at voice, and Jenny is proving quite adept at the keyboard beside her mother. All are self-taught, but thanks to Mrs. Hutchinson's excellent ear, they can perform creditably. In moments of solitude, Sukey loved to take long walks and sing whatever she pleased at whatever volume along the way. However, one of the most vivid memories of her early social experience involves a humiliating musical venture. Sukey's enthusiasm and self-confidence can lead her to take on challenging tasks, such as singing a duet unpracticed after the original vocalist fell ill. Sadly, her courage tends to wane the closer the moment approaches, and her mediocre performance in this instance continues to sting her pride. Though always eager for new friends and adventures, Sukey cannot forget that even in Wiltshire, she is often overlooked in favor of prettier, more accomplished young ladies.
1811: Current Season
With the Hutchinsons struggling to sustain themselves due to a series of poor harvests, Sukey has been sent to London to live with her brother in the hopes that she might marry well and raise the fortunes of her entire family. At the very least, she wants to make her own future somewhat more secure. Having never had the benefit of a formal education, she is initially somewhat uncomfortable in social situations, fearing that she might betray her humble origins. However, she has a practical, inquisitive mind and a readiness to learn. When she feels at ease, her reserve melts away, and she can take others by surprise with her forthrightness. A fun-loving individual, she has discovered a passion for dancing, and she usually has energy and enthusiasm to spare. It has come as a bit of a shock to her that there are so very many attractive men in the world, and although she would never admit as much to her friends back home, she is by no means averse to watching them (or discussing them with other young ladies). Indeed, her brother Ben fears that London has had a negative influence on Sukey with its flood of fashion and dissipation. With his sobering experience of long suffering, he does his best to be an anchor for his sister. He has filled his small library with appropriate novels and informational books for her benefit and seeks to introduce her to the right sorts of people. His professional life has led to an unlikely friendship with Geoffrey Stapleton, who became one of Sukey's first acquaintances in London. She had expected him to be a dusty, bespectacled, professor-ish person, and despite the surprise of his youth and handsome features, has not yet quite overcome her fanciful image of him. Mr. Stapleton remains a valued friend, having kindly shared a carriage with the Hutchinsons to convey them to Almack's. He is also--in defiance of her preconceptions--an interesting person, and she hopes to further their acquaintance in the future. Sukey has also been lucky enough as to gain the good opinion of Georgiana Haworth, with whom she had an engaging conversation about literature, among other things. Her closest friend in London, aside from her brother, is actually sharp-tongued maidservant Mary Tibbord (Polly), with whom she converses in her most unguarded moments. For instance, both Polly and Ben know of Sukey's current interest in George Hackett, Lord Selwyn. Ben and Sukey are in awe of Lord Selwyn's travels to Italy and his cultured refinement. True to form, Ben regards their vast class difference as an obstacle to friendship, whereas Sukey struggles to understand its relevance. Though Sukey has yet to confront her own feelings towards Lord Selwyn, she is mildly annoyed by Ben's attempts to caution her. Recently, Lord Selwyn was kind enough to keep her company in Vauxhall Gardens after she and Polly became separated at the cascades. A trying experience, losing one's maid, but Sukey deeply appreciated Lord Selwyn's help and rather enjoyed being alone with him, unchaperoned. He then paid a visit to Gracechurch Street, and though the conversation began in a rather customary, dull way, it ended in some fairly deep reflection. Sukey was more drawn to Lord Selwyn than ever, and for a few moments believed the feeling might be mutual; when his cool, formal manner returned as he took his leave, however, she began to wonder whether she might be deceiving herself. She dearly wishes she had a close female friend to whom she could turn to for advice and who is not Polly (for Polly doubts the motives of any and all aristocrats who take an interest in the pleasant, but impecunious Miss Hutchinson).
Sukey may have found such a friend in Miss Anne Gibson, with whom she and Ben chatted at the art exhibition and later met for tea. Both the Hutchinsons enjoyed Miss Gibson's company and conversation and were delighted to learn that they are neighbors on Gracechurch Street. Ben would be extremely relieved if Sukey were to form a friendship with the sensible, modest young lady, whose connections--while still good--are a better match for the Hutchinsons' status than many others they have met (read: Lord Selwyn). Sukey has no ulterior motive in seeking out Miss Gibson's company and is simply looking forward to getting to know her better, along with another new acquaintance, Miss Eleanor Clare.
Completely unrelated to her social life, Sukey has been charged by her clergyman grandfather to visit some of London's Christopher Wren churches and write him a description. She has checked only about three of them off her list, and hopes to re-visit St. Paul's Cathedral, which she did not have sufficient time to explore at an earlier date. She probably won't write to him concerning every one, since there are enough for each week of the year.
Friends
George Hackett, Lord Selwyn
Acquaintances
Malcolm Wemys, a neighbor who came in search of a missing dog
Lady Julianne Grafton, with whom Sukey spoke at the salon
Nathaniel Scarborough, who has been working with Ben to sort out his family finances, and to whom Sukey made some unexpected observations about elephants
Arthur Dalrymple, Viscount Linley, whom she met in the park on her second day in London
Patrick Grove, with whom Sukey flung a pastry from a balcony
Charlie Devenish, with whom she danced at Almack's
Enemies
None yet, except possibly the cascades at Vauxhall Gardens which so cruelly separated her from Polly--but as that incident ended in accidentally encountering Lord Selwyn, Sukey supposes she must count the cascades as at least indifferent acquaintances.
