Jane Rossington

Jane Eleanor Rossington, born Miss Jane Layton, was the 7th Duchess of Welby. She died in 1809 giving birth to her daughter, Madalene Rossington. She is survived by her husband, Hugh Rossington, and his brother, Daniel Rossington. She is (obviously) a NPC created by Izzie.

As with all NPCs, the PB for this character is only tentative, and can be used for an actual character.

Jane Rossington

Portrayed by Anita Briem
Full Name	Jane Eleanor Rossington (nee Layton)
Associated Noble House(s)	Dukedom of Welby
Date of Birth	May 1, 1787
Father	Charles Layton
Father's Rank	Lawyer
Mother	Eleanor Layton (nee Oswald)
Mother's Rank	The Honourable Mrs. Charles Layton
Town Residence	{{{residence}}}
Year of Debut	1805
Dowry	£5,000
Year of Marriage	1806
Spouse	Hugh Rossington
Spouse's Rank	7th Duke of Welby
Issue	Madalene Rossington

Biography

Jane was the daughter of Charles Layton, younger brother of Henry Layton I, and cousin to Henry Layton. Her father was a lawyer in London, and her mother was the daughter of a Baronet. Growing up, she was always eager to please, and worked to develop proper manners and her musical skills from an early age.

1805 marked Jane's year to debut into society - with a tiny dowry, she knew her marriage prospects were slim, but hoped that her pretty face and excellent manners would help her stand out amongst her fellow debutantes. Having grown up in London, she had the advantage of having access to the most fashionable people in the world, and thus had learned much regarding fashion and how to behave in proper society. Following her debut in April 1805, she was introduced to Hugh Rossington, the Duke of Welby, quite by accident. Initially it seemed that she had barely registered to a man as powerful as he, and was slightly bewildered to learn that this was not the case - instead, the Duke spent more and more time with her, and eventually proposed to her following the end of the 1805 season.

Marriage (1806)

The marriage was set to take place at the beginning of the 1806 Season, so as to provide the ton with a spectacular event right at the start of the season. Jane knew little of Hugh's family - she had met the Duchess, but had failed to meet Hugh's elusive younger brother, Daniel Rossington. It seemed that he had no desire to take part in the wedding plans, spending most of his time at Pendleston Court instead. It seemed that perhaps she was better off not knowing the gentleman, as his behaviour did come off as rather rude. This opinion of him would quickly change, however, on her wedding day.

Daniel (1806-1809)

Following the marriage ceremony, Jane was finally formally introduced to Daniel. She found it difficult to find the gentleman rude, due to his easy going nature and ability to get along with almost anyone. Following their honeymoon, Hugh returned to London with his mother, while Jane returned to the Welby Estate to organize their things to be brought to London. She was loathe to be alone in the sprawling home, and was surprised to find that Neil was also present. The two spent their days together, and the more she came to know her brother-in-law, the more she came to love him. It soon became evident to both of them that there had been a terrible mistake, that Jane had married the wrong Rossington brother. While there was little that could be done about it now, the two kept their relationship a secret, never pushing it past a few stolen kisses. Neil spent more and more time with his family so he could be near Jane, and for all intents and purposes, he considered her to be his wife. In 1808, this would change, as Jane found herself pregnant with Hugh's child, thus shattering the world that she and Neil had created for themselves. Neil began to keep his distance from the couple, only spending time with Jane in her final months of pregnancy.

Madalene (1809)

On March 22, 1809, Jane gave birth to a daughter, Madalene Rossington. Following the birth, Jane felt tired, which she was assured was quite normal. She developed a fever overnight, and very quickly became ill. She passed away March 24, 1809.