List of Downton Abbey characters

Robert Crawley (The Earl of Grantham)
Downton Abbey character
Portrayed by	Hugh Bonneville
Duration	2010–2015
First appearance	Episode 1.01
Created by	Julian Fellowes
Introduced by	Julian Fellowes
Profile
Home	Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England
Bonneville portrays Robert Crawley
Family Crawley Father Patrick Crawley, 6th Earl of Grantham Mother Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham Sisters Lady Rosamund Painswick Wife Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham Daughters Lady Mary Talbot Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham Lady Sybil Branson Grandsons Master George Crawley Granddaughters Miss Sybbie Branson Miss Marigold Crawley First cousins Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire Hugh MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire Lady Rose Aldridge

Cora Crawley (The Countess of Grantham)
Downton Abbey character
Portrayed by	Elizabeth McGovern
Duration	2010–2015
First appearance	Episode 1.01
Created by	Julian Fellowes
Introduced by	Julian Fellowes
Profile
Home	Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England
McGovern portrays Lady Grantham
Family Crawley Father Isidore Levinson Mother Martha Levinson Brothers Harold Levinson Husband Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham Daughters Lady Mary Talbot Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham Lady Sybil Branson Grandsons Master George Crawley Granddaughters Miss Sybbie Branson Miss Marigold Gregson

Violet Crawley (The Dowager Countess of Grantham)
Downton Abbey character
Portrayed by	Maggie Smith
Duration	2010–2015
First appearance	Episode 1.01
Created by	Julian Fellowes
Introduced by	Julian Fellowes
Profile
Home	Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England
Maggie Smith portrays the Dowager Countess
Family Crawley Sisters Roberta (possiby; she was great-aunt to Mary, Edith and Sybil) Husband Patrick Crawley, 6th Earl of Grantham Sons Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham Daughters Lady Rosamund Painswick Granddaughters Lady Mary Talbot Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham Lady Sybil Branson

Lady Mary Crawley
Downton Abbey character
Portrayed by	Michelle Dockery
Duration	2010–2015
First appearance	Episode 1.01
Created by	Julian Fellowes
Introduced by	Julian Fellowes
Profile
Home	Downton Abbey, Yorkshire, England
Dockery portrays Lady Mary Crawley
Family Crawley Father Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham Mother Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham Sisters Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham Lady Sybil Branson Husband Matthew Crawley (deceased) Henry Talbot Sons Master George Crawley Grandfathers Patrick Crawley, 5th Earl of Grantham Isidore Levinson Grandmothers Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham Martha Levinson Uncles Harold Levinson Aunts Lady Rosamund Painswick Nieces Miss Sybbie Branson Miss Marigold Crawley First cousins Lady Rose Aldridge

This is a list of characters from Downton Abbey, a British period drama television series created by Julian Fellowes and co-produced by Carnival Films and Masterpiece for ITV and PBS, respectively.

Robert Crawley, The 7th Earl of Grantham (also known as Lord Grantham) (played by Hugh Bonneville) was born in 1866 at Downton Abbey. His parents are the late 6th Earl of Grantham and the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley. He has a sister named Rosamund. Despite the family's financial situation, Robert's education was privileged and he was tutored from ages 7 to 13, before attending Eton and then Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied philosophy.

To ensure the survival of the estate, Robert's father knew that his son needed to marry a wealthy heiress who would bring a large dowry to the estate. Robert married Cora Levinson, the only daughter of Isidore and Martha Levinson. Isidore was an American millionaire, and when Cora married Robert, Robert's father insisted that she sign an entailment which legally combined the estate with Cora's fortune. Robert was forced into the marriage by his father and Cora by hers. Robert's father wanted Robert to marry a rich girl; Isidore wanted Cora to marry into the English aristocracy. He later said that he was ashamed of his motives for pursuing Cora. After about a year of marriage, however, Robert truly fell in love with Cora and they eventually had three daughters: Mary, Edith, and Sybil. Because of the entail, as they had no sons, Robert's heir was the closest male relative, his cousin James. However, when James and his only son Patrick died in the sinking of the Titanic, Robert's heir became his third cousin once removed, Matthew Crawley, a young middle-class solicitor from Manchester, setting the stage for him to inherit not only the Abbey and its estate, but also Cora's fortune. While Violet, Cora and Mary wish to contest the entail so that Cora's money, at least, will remain in the immediate family, Robert refuses even to countenance this possibility. He sees it as his responsibility to preserve his heritage and ensure that Downton Abbey and the estate remain intact, even if the property and title will go into the hands of a stranger. He knows that it would be impossible to maintain Downton Abbey if Cora's fortune were separated from the estate.