Eleanor "Nora" Ridgeway

Eleanor "Nora" Ridgeway

Physical Description

Apparel & Accessories

Typically wears men's clothes -- a buttoned white shirt, a waistcoat, trousers -- tailored to fit her and a hat to fit her hair under. She has a compass on a chain, and inside the compass is a picture of her mother.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Nora's grandparents had once been wealthy and prominent in their city in Canada, but the war brought the decline of their fortunes. They struggled for years since to maintain the appearance of class. Eleanor Ridgeway was the eldest of their three children -- a brother a year and a half younger than her, and a sister a full eight years younger. Her mother was weakened by the last pregnancy, and when she miscarried two years later, the children were left motherless. Left by himself, Ridgeway raised all three of his children the only way he knew how. He raised them like boys, straightforwardly, and thus they were too blunt or else too unforthcoming for "charm." He arranged a marriage for his eldest to make sure she and her sister would always be provided for. Richard Crawley also bought his failing business off of him. Eleanor went into it dutifully, knowing it was the best her father could do for her and not wanting to disappoint him. However, in her marriage, Nora was neglected by her husband and bullied by her sister-in-law, who managed Richard's life. Nora Ridgeway was born as Melanie Crawley in a house that her mother had not even been consulted in decorating. As the years went on, Eleanor became increasingly depressed and faded, but whenever Winifred attempted to take her daughter in hand the way she had her, she rallied and did her best to shield her from Winifred's meddling. Melanie used to climb onto the roof or into trees to escape being "managed." Being high up made her feel above it all. However, she died in a riding accident that may or may not have been deliberate, when Melanie was ten years old. Having been aware of Eleanor's treatment and riddled with guilt over it for years, Eleanor's father spent the last of his funds secretly getting Nora to Scotland for his son to raise, and sending a small sum to help provide for her. Richard and Winifred suspected where she was, and did their best to ruin old man Ridgeway over it, but they didn't know where Arthur Ridgeway lived and had no way to get to him. Once she was old enough to reflect on everything that had happened, about two years later, Melanie changed her name to Eleanor Ridgeway, after her mother, because she wanted to imagine that in living her life so differently, she was giving her mother another chance at a happy life. Nora accompanied Arthur on trips to remote places and helped him do his mapping. She fell in love with seeing new places, especially mountainous regions, and learning to fly was the logical next step to be able to do more of that.

Education

Her formal education suffered from her living with a bachelor uncle. She has training as a pilot.

Employment

She works for her uncle, Arthur Ridgeway, who is a mapmaker. Nora flies to and photographs remote regions, and takes down accurate locations of places, interviews locals, then mails a package of data home for her uncle to compile into guides and maps.

Mental Trauma

Her mother died when she was ten, and her mother before her died when she was ten.

Intellectual Characteristics

Nora has a good memory and a good sense of direction. She also can visualize things well.

Morality & Philosophy

Due to the example of her Aunt Miriam, who lived with her the man who became her husband for a long time before marrying him, and who smokes, Nora is more condoning toward such things than she should be. She is also leery of marriage because of what happened to her mother. She believes she should live for herself, and that trying to be "virtuous" and self-sacrificing leads to ruin.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

She imagines herself as her mother alive again and feels that, in living for herself, she is giving her mother another chance at a happy life. She also dreams of becoming a photojournalist.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

She is knowledgeable about the planes of the era, but particularly the Cessnas and the de Havillards. She's familiar enough with her own plane to maintain and fix it herself. She's been studying photography in her spare time. She speaks a little bit of the languages of the places she has traveled: Icelandic; Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese; Kalaallisut, Tunumiit oraasiat, Inuktun, which are the Greenlandic Inuit languages; and Persian.

Likes & Dislikes

Nora likes photography and flying. Generally, she likes being high up, so she particularly likes mountain scenery.

Vices & Personality flaws

She picked up smoking from her aunt when she was about 15 and visiting her. However, she realized that it was affecting her ability to breathe at high altitudes and, given her goal of becoming a pilot, immediately quit.

Social

Family Ties

Eleanor Crawley, nee Ridgeway (deceased)

• mother
• wasted away with depression for ten years, until she died in a horseback riding accident that may or may not have been deliberate

Richard Crawley (estranged)

• father

Winifred "Freddie" Crawley (estranged)

• aunt on her father's side

Arthur Ridgeway (guardian)

• uncle on her mother's side
• mapmaker

Miriam Balsan, nee Ridgeway

• aunt on her mother's side
• dressmaker
• worked as a seamstress during the day and as a cabaret singer by night until she was able to establish her own shop

Benoit Balsan

• uncle through marriage (to Miriam)

Hobbies & Pets

Angus -- her uncle's wolfhound Emilienne, Adrienne, Gabrielle -- Benoit's (annoying) canaries

Speech

Transatlantic accent

Wealth & Financial state

Her grandparents were once wealthy and prominent in their city in Canada, but the war brought a downfall of fortunes. Nora's father is a self-made, new-money businessman, but she has not been in contact with him since she was a child. Arthur Crawley lives very simply.

A 1950s-era niece of a mapmaker, bush pilot and aspiring photojournalist (Credit: The image is a cartoonized version of a photo by @shiranatra on Instagram.)

View Character Profile

Age

25

Birthplace

Canada

Current Residence

Scotland

Gender

Female

Eyes

deep liquid brown

Hair

chestnut brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

olive

Height

5'6

Weight

120 lb