Whilst Anna is pregnant, Bates continues to attempt selling his mother's house in London as well as purchasing a house in the north. For his part, Mason knows how he is affecting them and tries to give them as much space as possible. She does not return in the second series and is replaced by Ethel. "[17] Finneran believed that O'Brien "was great to play. Barrow then attempts to gain an ally in the form of Lady Grantham's new maid Edna, a maid fired from Downton following her attempt to seduce Tom Branson, by claiming that Edna's accidental damage to one of Lady Grantham's favourite garments was in fact due to Anna Bates. Mabel Lane-Fox returns and begins pursuing him again, but he is still convinced that it would be dishonorable not to marry Mary after their affair. The intended dinner conversation quickly becomes a heated argument in front of the bemused minister, and the Earl of Grantham collapses from a perforated ulcer, ending the gathering while he is rushed to hospital. Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Strutt KCB, DSO (played by Julian Wadham) is a senior British Army general known as the "Hero of the Somme". . Baxter and Moseley become very close in the course of the final series and the two films; in A New Era, Baxter accepts Moseley's marriage proposal. She is played by actress MyAnna Buring. In 1922 he joins Violet and Isobel for lunch, later taking a walk with Isobel. More is revealed about Anna's past. She resists claiming her widow's pension as she thinks it wrong to claim money for marrying a man that she liked but would have not married under normal circumstances. However, Mason becomes persnickety with the living conditions, which grates on the young couple. Rose becomes restless and persuades Anna into accompanying her to a dance hall in York, where Anna attracts the attention of some young men but barely escapes when a fight ensues. Nevertheless, he maintains a fascination with medicine. This greatly upsets the farmer's wife, who was led to believe that the child was the orphaned daughter of her husband's friend whom she never met. During her visit to Violet in 1920, she unexpectedly joins Edith and Matthew on a trip to London, claiming that she is planning a surprise for her mother. When it is revealed the new valet, Henry Lang, had shell shock, she was uncharacteristically sympathetic towards him and it was revealed that her own brother suffered from it due to the War. In episode 3, Mary asks if Anna has considered Dr Ryder's advice. Andy tries to break ties with Thomas, on account of Mr Carson, Mrs Hughes, and Mrs Patmore informing him that Thomas is a homosexual. Anna May Bates (ne Smith; born possibly in 1886) was head housemaid at Downton Abbey and is currently lady's maid to Lady Mary Crawley. Lady Rosamund Painswick (ne Crawley) (played by Samantha Bond) is Robert's widowed sister who lives on her own in London. In series 6 only credited with the main cast in "The Finale". He encounters Edith during a round of grouse shooting and keeps company with her during afternoon tea and the evening festivities. She replaced another maid named Ethel Parks, who had been sacked after being caught with a soldier while Downton Abbey was a convalescent home for war wounded soldiers. Through a series of notes and letters, all of which Jimmy desperately begs Thomas for advice on, the audience learns that Jimmy's former position with Lady Anstruther included a sexual aspect. Anna is promoted from head housemaid to Lady's Maid to Mary during Bates's incarceration. He joins his fellow former nobles on an outing to Downton in the spring of 1924. 1886) is lady's maid to Lady Mary at Downton Abbey; previously she was first parlour maid and head housemaid. O'Brien is one of several servants asked to testify at Bates's trial and is genuinely relieved when they learn that Bates had been reprieved. At the end of the series, Bates is livid as Inspector Vyner calls Anna into Scotland Yard as part of an identity parade. Left virtually penniless, he makes his way to England and settles in York, where he receives aid from a charity for migr Russian refugees. By the end of the final series, Robert's worsening health forces him to step down from running the estate, leaving the task to Tom and Mary. Edna Braithwaite Ah yes, the scheming maid who tried to hit on Tom while he was mourning Sybil's death, got fired, then managed to worm her way back into Downton to work as Cora's lady's maid,. He runs after the car and orders Bates to get out, telling him to get back inside and that nothing more would be said about him leaving. He helps Matthew and Mary modernise Downton. Mrs Hughes has described her sister as being born "not quite right in the head" and has been privately caring for her since their mother died. They agree to be friends forever. The judge voids the divorce decree, with the result that Vera and John are still legally married. He writes to Robert also with an address attached so he can be contacted. Despite the concern of her husband and of Lady Mary, Anna does keep working, although some of her duties are undertaken by other members of staff. He also has a special place in his heart for Lady Mary, given she was the first child born at Downton during his tenure as butler. Still a man of high standards, his reactions to Hughes' cooking lead to a comic incident where he is forced to cook dinner and fails, teaching him to respect her efforts. She runs into Thomas, and calls him sly, oily, and smug. He finds himself mutually attracted to Lady Grantham's new maid, Baxter. In 1920, he expresses his wish to name Daisy his sole heir, and asks her to come live at the farm so he may teach her how to run it. During the Great War she learns that her nephew Archibald "Archie" Philpotts deserted and was shot for cowardice at the front. They kiss and enjoy their reunion. When Rose responds that the prince was very popular, the king dryly remarks that "the prince is never short of popularity." Anna is then given a trial date and Bates is forced into taking action. Affable and good-natured, he was also a competent pianist (actor Thomas Howes is a pianist) and would entertain other servants during their free time. Considering Charlie's future, she gives him to Mr and Mrs Bryant. Her industrious nature, first discovered during the First World War when she opens and maintains Downton as a convalescent home for soldiers, and later put to use on the Downton hospital board, often causes conflict with Robert, especially after she becomes president of the hospital board in the final series. Determined to find any way to legally marry Edith, he learns if he becomes a German citizen he can divorce Lizzy. Pamuk rebuffs him and later uses this incident to blackmail Thomas, threatening to inform Lord Grantham about his indiscretion unless Thomas agrees to guide Pamuk to the room of Lady Mary later that same evening. Specifically, the new housemaid, Edna. At Christmas there is still no sign of him, but at the Christmas carol service Bates manages to sneak in; he surprises Anna, and pulls her away from the crowd. Unlike the other servants, she shows no respect when talking with Tom, and refuses to stand up when he enters the servants hall. She loses her virginity to him. In series three, Edith and Anthony reconnect and are soon engaged. Baxter is hired on Barrow's recommendation, and Cora is pleased with Baxter. However, he is killed during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. After William's death in 1918, Mr Mason sometimes calls at Downton to speak to Daisy, believing that she loved William as much as he did. His aunt is Sarah O'Brien, who brings him forward as a candidate for the empty post based on his previous experience as a waiter at a hotel. Almost immediately, Daisy Mason falls head-over-heels in love with Alfred, but is impeded by the new kitchen maid, Ivy Stuart, whom Alfred is quick to develop a crush on. In series six, she and her father have left for America, only for them to return to stay at Downton in the third episode. It is he who eventually talks Lady Mary out of her listless grief over Matthew's death. Rose's society debut is in 1923, when Cora presents her before the king, queen, and Prince of Wales. She reacts callously at first, reminding him of his place, but soon comes to apologise, and finally breaks down and cries. He meets Mrs Hughes at a fair in Downton after the death of Ivy and asked her a second time to marry him, giving her a parting gift of a small doll. Bates does not accept this, and insists that she alone is enough for him. Lord Grantham insists on using his influence to get Freddie into Ripon Grammar School and paying the school fees in future. Although scheming in nature and always looking to manipulate circumstances to her and Thomas's benefit, she has a conscience and softens up over the second series. However, relatively quickly, the mystery is solved as another of Green's victims comes forward and confesses to his murder. During the 2014 Christmas special, Anna awaits trial in prison as Mary and Bates visit her. Rose befriends the prince's mistress, Freda Dudley Ward, who comes to her when a letter from the prince is stolen by Terence Sampson, a greedy acquaintance from Robert's club. Rather, she tries to make her victims feel guilty. Andrew "Andy" Parker (played by Michael C. Fox) is a footman who starts working at Downton Abbey in 1924. Anna's mother managed to convince police that it was an accident and he had slipped, but Anna is now terrified that either the police have found a file on the incident or her stepfather had heard of her arrest and tipped them off and it would be used to disprove the Crawleys' character reference of her and portray her as violent. Her father Robert tells his wife Cora that there is no identifiable body, and "what was left of him" was supposedly buried somewhere. During the First World War, Sybil serves as an auxiliary nurse and develops feelings for Tom Branson, the family's chauffeur and a staunch Irish nationalist. After the fire, Lord Grantham tells Carson that Jimmy has to go, but with a good reference. Edna Braithwaite 5 episodes, 2012-2013 Catherine Steadman . She, in turn thanks him, describing him as strong and lucky neither of which he considered himself to be. Episode #4.2: Directed by David Evans. If listing any specific dates, please use a reference and make note of the episode or other canon source that the information comes from, including a short quote if possible. Later, however, he is turned down as Mrs Hughes does not wish to leave Downton, but the two part on good terms. But Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore intervene and Carson eventually gives in and takes Molesley on as a second footman. Barrow succeeds him as butler, with Carson serving in a supervisory role. This scheme fails, however, when he is sold worthless goods and is rendered penniless. He only changes his mind when he learns more of Sir Richard's questionable moral character, and is clearly distressed by Lady Mary's reaction to his decision. While he is recuperating, Jimmy comes to speak with him. And while the household is lined up to receive a duke, O'Brien discreetly kicks Bates's cane on which he was leaning, knocking him on his face in the gravel, in order to cause a scene and bring attention to his disability. Tom doesn't learn her true identity until later. When the Crawleys manage to reduce Bates's sentence to life imprisonment, she decides to stay at Downton, although she vows that she will not rest until Bates is free. When Anthony Strallan reveals what Larry had done, Lord Merton asks his son if it was true. Richard Clarkson (played by David Robb) is the Crawley family doctor. After the war ends he covers for Carson when he falls ill with Spanish influenza, only to accidentally become drunk while tasting the wine for dinner. After being told he would not make it, William proposes to Daisy and tells her that he wants to marry her, not just out of love, but also to secure her a widow's pension so that she would be taken care of. Having known each other since childhood, they married young and had a very unhappy marriage. In episode 5, Bates is insistent that nothing will go wrong with the pregnancy, when Anna begins to worry. George V (Guy Williams) is the king to whom Rose MacClare is presented at court in 1923. Bertie accepts that Edith has an illegitimate daughter, but he is also hurt that she may have tried to trick him, so he breaks off their engagement. [2] Early on, she is portrayed as a petulant and cold young woman; as the series progresses, however, she shows more vulnerability and compassion. In the first film, they are engaged, but Daisy shows less enthusiasm; when she appears to flirt with a plumber, Andy's jealousy leads him to sabotage a pump. Upon learning that her parents are dead, he offers to take her under his wing as a surrogate daughter, which she accepts, though reluctantly at the outset. Mrs Hughes also learns the truth but says no more when she learns that Cora knows. However both Molesley and Baxter investigate Bates's confession and find the pub he claims he was at in York the day Green died, and a witness confirms Bates was indeed in York. When Matthew is injured, he thinks his spine may have been broken, but is proven wrong when Matthew walks again (he was just suffering from spinal shock, which didn't permanently disable his legs). She has proven to be ambitious in moving above her social station. Later, when Kemal Pamuk, an Ottoman diplomat, visits Downton, Thomas attempts to kiss him. Turning up in the servants' hall unannounced, his good looks and charm quickly impress a number of the maidsas well as Thomas Barrow, currently valet to Lord Grantham. After Lady Grantham is struck by a severe case of Spanish flu, O'Brien maintains a bedside vigil, attempting to atone for the miscarriage. As Anna returns to Downton, Bates is still missing, leaving her miserable. However, Tom still feels he cannot fit in; during a house party at the beginning of series three, he finds conversations with the Crawley family's friends awkward, and his friendship with schoolteacher and fellow socialist Sarah Bunting (played by Daisy Lewis) causes tension with the Crawleys. However, Edith also experiences success when she pursues a career in journalism and takes charge of Gregson's magazine publishing company. William had three brothers and a sister but all died at or shortly after birth, leaving him as the only child. Bates finally confronts his wife and reveals the truth; he realised Green was the attacker as soon as he returned to Downton, and he did intend to murder the valet the day he was killed. At the end, he is seen playing football on the beach, while Thomas watches from a nearby chair. In episode 2, Bates discovers Anna yet again upset, after having told Lady Mary about her pregnancy problems. They love to dislike her. In series six, Gwen returns, eleven years later, to Downton as a successful married woman, although she visits the mansion only in the fourth episode. Lavinia dies at Downton of Spanish influenza after Matthew regains use of his legs and shortly before their wedding. She does, though she thinks Edna is not cut out to be a housemaid. For a brief time before entering into household service, Mr Carson was a music hall performer in the vaudeville duo the "Cheerful Charlies" alongside former friend Charlie Grigg. He refuses to assume his title publicly until his cousin's memorial service, though Carson instructs the Downton staff to address him as "Your Lordship" nonetheless. In the Christmas special he is invited by Lord Grantham to the traditional Christmas shoot but repeatedly turns it down. The conniving Miss O'Brien left Downton Abbey very suddenly (who will keep Thomas in check now?! Rupert Christiansen, writing in The Telegraph, bemoaned the casting and the fact checking.[23]. Immerse yourself in the much loved British historical drama, relive some of. In 1913, Mason's wife dies of a heart attack leaving him on his own on their farm. At five or six years old, in 1928, she has donned braids and runs to ask her mother play with her one warm day. Because Alfred quickly becomes enamored with the new kitchen maid, Ivy Stuart, Jimmy also takes an interest. Bates becomes protective over Anna at the car racing at Brooklands, when she insists in running after Lady Mary after a fatal crash on the track. Cora and Edith make up a story to tell her father Robert, that the pig farmer cannot financially care for this child along with his own children, and Edith asks Robert if Marigold can become her "ward." Although Daisy finds this awkward at first, after he tells Daisy that William thought she was special and that his father would have no children left after his own death, their relationship changes and becomes akin to that of father and daughter. She gets a new hairstyle and announces that she will move into Yew Tree Farm with Mr Mason, while still working at Downton. Mr Bates goes to London to confront her and returns to Downton with a large scratch on his face, telling Anna that their meeting went terribly. Lord Merton is invited to dinner at Downton Abbey along with his family before Mary and Matthew's wedding. However, when Logan auditioned for the role, the casting directors liked her Scottish accent so much that they decided to turn Mrs Hughes into a Scot.[11]. Cora tells Robert the whole story when he asks if there is another reason for Mary staying with Carlisle when she obviously does not like him. In September 1921, Mary gives birth to their son George, but Matthew is killed in a car crash while driving home from the hospital. Bertie asks Edith to marry him the night of Charlie Rogers' death. In the second film, their son, Peter, is an infant, and Edith is once again involved in the day-to-day running of her publishing company and writing articles. In the last episode of series one, O'Brien comes to believe that Cora is going to replace her. In 1996, Julian Fellowes learned that, according to a friend's great aunt's diary, around 1890 a diplomat did die in the bed of a single woman; the woman and a matron carried the diplomat's corpse to his guest bed, where a valet later found him; the secret was kept for a century.[22]. Bates remains ignorant of the true meaning of the words, but he soon has other concerns when Lord Grantham decides to appoint Thomas as under-butler to take advantage of his skills at cricket; Bates had only hoped to allow Thomas to leave with a good reference. Eventually, after Barrow threatens to reveal her secret to Lady Grantham, Baxter is encouraged by Molesley to do so first. Michael follows Edith and her family to Scotland in 1921, where he meets her family. During an informal ball in the servant's hall, he dances with Daisy. Gordon says he was rescued from the freezing ocean by Fifth Officer Harold Lowe but developed amnesia and was sent to Montreal after being mistaken for a Canadian. She firmly believed that she could guilt Tom into responding to her as she represented the same working class that he himself had been part of earlier. He is a recent war veteran and suffers from severe Combat Stress Reaction (CSR, or shell shock) that causes him to be very nervous and somewhat disconnected to his surroundings. She has a strong bond with her granddaughter Mary, to whom she is the most similar. Upon Robert's death, he will become the 8th Earl of Grantham, though Mary will speak for his interests until he comes of age. Series six deals with Carson's and Hughes' marriage and life as a married couple. The scheming Edna would return as Cora Crawley's second lady's maid. Her efforts to prove her husband's innocence become a success when a neighbour of Vera's inadvertently tells Anna details of their last meeting which prove that Vera committed suicide in order to have her husband convicted and hanged for the crime. She is rescued (to her relatives' dismay) by black singer Jack Ross. [2] Edith is often the "forgotten" one as she is not considered as pretty and smooth-talking as her older sister, Mary, or as daring and passionate as her younger sister, Sybil. O'Brien, always against Bates, writes to Vera to tell her where he is and about his and Anna's blossoming romance. Robert is immensely proud of Downton as the place he grew up and takes his responsibility for the estate very seriously; he sees himself as its caretaker, not its owner. The final series also deals with Carson downsizing staff to adjust for the current times. Jimmy's whereabouts post-Downton are never revealed. She is also entrusted with teaching Lady Sybil how to cook, something which the pair enjoy. His protectiveness leads Baxter to discover Anna's pregnancy. Unlike Carson, she privately views Lady Mary as a silly girl whose misfortune comes mostly from her own mistakes; her attitudes have likely softened over the years. Rose secretly invites Ross and his band members to perform at Downton for Robert's birthday, by which time she has entered into a secret relationship with Jack.