Elizabeth of Ladymead

Elizabeth is the central matriarch whose evolving independence drives the plot. Across eras she pushes back against traditional limits, steering the estate and forming political sympathies with suffragist ideals. Her resilience and wit illuminate how personal desire can coexist with duty and romance.

John Beresford is a husband whose wartime duties test the couple’s dynamic. He represents duty and convention, often clashing with Elizabeth’s drive for autonomy. His presence anchors the family’s stability even as his stance on leadership evolves with time.

A later incarnation of Elizabeth’s husband, this Beresford continues to contend with the balance between duty and the wife’s growing independence. He embodies the shifting masculine role as society moves through postwar expectations.

Another era’s Beresford, he embodies the evolving challenge of sharing control of the estate amid changing gender norms. His reactions to Elizabeth’s assertiveness reveal the tension between love, authority, and modern living.

The wartime Beresford in the 1940s frames the conclusion of the family saga, where memory, affection, and unresolved tensions surface as they return from war. His character tests the endurance of a marriage shaped by decades of change.

The matriarchal figure in 1854, she represents early supportive roles for women within the household and hints at the upcoming shifts toward nursing and compassion in wartime.

In 1903, the mother embodies a more active, politically aware female presence as Elizabeth becomes involved in suffrage and public advocacy, reflecting the era’s push for women’s rights.

The 1946 mother figure anchors memory and the home’s continuity as the family confronts postwar realities and the lingering desire for independence and social change.

A confidant and occasional disruptor in 1854, Maj. Wrigley represents the military world encroaching on domestic life and the social codes Elizabeth must navigate.

In 1903, Maj. Wrigley’s presence exposes the jokes and evasions of enlistment, illustrating the era’s complexities around duty and personal choice.

The wartime Maj. Wrigley in 1919 embodies a postwar social atmosphere where appearances blur with reality as society confronts new freedoms.

The 1946 Maj. Wrigley mirrors the era’s tensions between tradition and the Jazz Age-tinged desire for modern life within the home.

Frank interacts with Elizabeth and the family through social circles, reflecting the era’s male attitudes and its evolving stance toward marriage, status, and reputation.