The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes

The World of Downton Abbey is the companion to the popular television series, Downton Abbey. This book provides the background to the world of Downton Abbey with chapters on family life, society, working in service to the upper class British society, fashion, the estate and romance.

Highclere Castle

The series which is set in the time when Edwardian society is beginning its decline, follows the story of one family and their servants. Downton is home not only to the Crawley family but also to the many servants who keep the estate house functioning.

The World of Downton Abbey provides wonderful insights into what it meant and what it was like to be in the life of service. For example, in Chapter One: Family Life, there is a short piece on Life in The Kitchen which tells us that kitchen staff worked the longest hours. The kitchen was the domain of the cook who did not tolerate interference from any other member of the household staff. In the chapter titled, Life In Service, Fellowes goes through each of the serving positions from lady's maid to butler to valet.

In Chapter Two: Society, there is background information on the real-life woman who formed the basis for the character Cora Crawley. That real person was Mary Leiter who was the daughter of the a very wealthy Chicago real estate speculator. Following in the tradition of other wealthy American girls traveling overseas to meet and marry upper class men, Mary managed to meet and dance with the Prince of Wales in 1890, thus ensuring her place in high society. She eventually went on to meet the Honourable George Curzon whom she married in 1985. To set the stage for presenting such people as Mary Leiter, Jessica Fellowes provides some historical background about "Buccaneer" girls, like Mary. The Buccaneers were eligible, wealthy young American women who came to Britain beginning in the late 1870's seeking husbands. These were the daughters of wealthy self-made Americans who sought entrance into high society - something "new" money couldn't buy in America. Early Buccaneers had no problem finding men to marry because many of the titled estates in Britain needed the American money to finance these huge properties. Other topics explored include primogeniture - the right of the eldest male to inherit an estate and a young woman's "coming out" in society.

The double library at Highclere

In Chapter Six: House and Estate, the focus is on Downton Abbey itself. The house, is actually Highclere Castle which has been home to the Earls of Carnarvon since 1679. The current turreted castle is built around a Georgian house which contains part of a medieval monastery used by the Bishops of Winchester many years before. The castle  is built in the Jacobethan style which is a mixture of Gothic and Elizabethan. The estate itself is comprised of 1000 acres of parkland and exquisite gardens. The State Dining Room contains the famous portrait of Charles I by Van Dyck. Another beautiful room is the double library which contains over 5600 books, some dating to the 1600's. There are eleven bedrooms on the first floor, including the Stanhope bedroom which is used as Mary's bedroom in Downton Abbey. It was decorated in rich reds for the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1895.

As was the case for many British estates of the late 1800's, Highclere was saved by the money of an American heiress, Almina Wombwell, who was believed to be the illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild.

Chapter Eight: War deals with the First World War including the effect of the war on society in Britain, the experiences of the soldiers, the changing role of women in society, and the Spanish flu.

There is no doubt that The World of Downton Abbey captivates the reader with it gorgeous photographs from the television series as well as numerous plates of historical images from the time period. It is well written, informative and will provide the series viewer with a solid background into the time period of Downton Abbey.

Book Details:
The World of Downton Abbey. The Secrets and History Unlocked by Jessical Fellowes
New York: St. Martin's Press     2011
303 pp.

DVD Series: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey tells the story of the Crawley family of North Yorkshire at the turn of the 20th century. The Edwardian mansion is the home and life's work of Robert, Earl of Grantham, his lovely demure wife, Cora, the Countess of Grantham, and their three daughters, Mary, Edith, and Sybil.

The series opens with the family dealing with the consequences of the sinking of the Titanic in April, 1912. Two male cousins, next in line to inherit the Downton estate have drowned, meaning the estate will now be passed onto the third cousin of the Earl, Matthew Crawley, a lawyer in London. This throws the entire family into a state of shock and consternation because they expected Downton Abbey to go to a more upper class relative. Complicating the matter is the fact that Cora, who is American, brought a large amount of money to the Crawley estate when she married Robert. This entail cannot be separated from the estate, which means that she too will lose all her money upon the Earl's death, unless this entail can be somehow separated from the inheritance. Since according to British law, neither Cora nor her daughters can inherit the estate, it means they face the possibility of financial hardship and it also means the daughters must marry well in order to maintain their status in British society. It's hard to believe such laws still existed in the early 20th century, but they did.

The Earl, accepting this situation and believing he has no recourse under the law,  writes to inform Matthew of his new situation in life, - that he will one day be heir to the lavish Downton Abbey.  Matthew and his mother, Isobel Crawley, move to Yorkshire where they are installed in a small house near Downton. Matthew vows such an inheritance and a move up in British society will not change him. At first the upper class Crawleys, especially Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, try their best to dislike Matthew. But it is soon apparent that he is a good, intelligent man, who is willing to look into the matter of Cora's entail in the hope that some money can be rescued for the wife and daughters should they one day need it. In the meantime, Robert, Cora and Violet entertain the hope that Mary will marry Matthew and spare them all the possibility of losing Downton Abbey.

Into this setting, we follow the family through the next two years, until the beginning of World War I. Irreverent and disinterested Lady Mary behaves scandalously and despite efforts to conceal her misdemeanor,  rumours circulate throughout London about her ruined reputation. Middle daughter, Lady Edith, often passed over by men infatuated with her older sister, strikes back at Lady Mary with unexpected and heartrending consequences. And Lady Sybil gets mixed up in women's rights and politics while trying to help a lady's maid better herself.

Even more interesting than the Crawley family's feuds and foibles, is the shenanigans of the servants. Overseen by the butler, Mr. Carson, a stalwart and just man, the serving staff plot against one another, eavesdrop on the family, and try to cope with their own unique problems. There is the footman, Thomas, who is a most disagreeable character, and his partner in crime, the lady's maid Sarah O'Brien, both of whom are always plotting against Mr. Bates. The enigmatic Bates, a friend of the Earl, has a checkered past but now tries to be honest and live a clean life.

The entire first season's episodes are rife with characters in conflict, making the storyline interesting and mostly unpredictable. Downton Abbey is superbly cast, and fans of BBC period productions will no doubt recognize some familiar faces including Brendan Coyle (North and South, Larkrise to Candleford) who plays John Bates, Jim Carson (The Way We Live Now) as Mr. Carson, and of course, the incomparable Dame Maggie Smith who is brilliant as the Dowager Countess Grantham. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern are wonderfully complimentary as the Earl and Countess of Grantham.


Downton Abbey does a wonderful job of capturing the expectation of change that everyone seems to have. Women are expecting things will change for them - that they will get the vote, be allowed to work, and possibly even inherit property. Men seem to sense that things will change politically and of course there's the beginning of World War I. Downton sees the installation of electricity AND the telephone. Change is definitely in the air by the end of season one.

The series is worth watching just on the basis of the costuming alone. With four rich women to clothe, the possibilities are endless and their dresses are absolutely beautiful - detailed brocades, flowing silks and rich velvets. Sybil's amazing harem pants, were a stunning coup de grace that should have been incorporated into more than just one scene! The series won an Emmy for Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries 2011.

Downton Abbey, created by Julian Fellowes, is a collaborative effort between Carnival Films of the UK and WGBH Boston (PBS) in the US.
The series is filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, although the servants quarters are shot on a set in London.

Below is the trailer for the first season:




I will be partaking of Season 2 shortly and I just can't wait.

Lark Rise to Candleford BBC TV Series

I'm off on holidays this week and what better way than to try out a few episodes of the BBC TV period costume-drama series, Lark Rise to Candleford. The series is based upon a trilogy of "novels" written by Flora Thompson about life in the English countryside and focuses on the lives of people of all classes in the poor hamlet of Lark Rise and it's wealthier neighbour, Candleford. The series began in 2008 and was completed this year after receiving much acclaim.

The stories are told through the narrative of young Laura Timmins who leaves her family in Lark Rise to work at the post office in Candleford under the tutelage of Dorcas Lane. Laura is excited to be moving to Candleford for her first job, to learn new ideas and ways and especially so to have her own bedroom. While Dorcas is welcoming and helpful to her protege, many of the residents of Candleford look down upon her as an ignorant country brat.

There are many story lines to follow through the first and second episodes. For example in the first episode the folks of Lark Rise are infuriated that they must pay 3p 6 penny for the delivery of telegrams from Candleford. They are told that it is because their hamlet is outside the "8 mile limit" for delivery. Things come to a head when Victoria Queenie" Turrill receives an urgent telegram but she is unable to receive it because she cannot pay for it. When a second telegram arrives with bad news, the Dorcas, Post Mistress of Candleford feels compelled to visit Queenie to tell her personally. As a result, the hamlet of Lark Rise decide to contest the charges for telegrams. Sir Timothy Midwinter, the fair-minded squire and local justice of the peace, decides that it might be best to measure the distance between the two communities to determine who is in the right.

In the second episode of Series One, Laura narrates two storylines, that of Mrs. Macy's absent husband and the debt troubles of Caroline Arliss whose husband is a sailor and who has left her to manage affairs at home. She is the feisty, strong character in the series and great fun to watch. It also is becoming evident that Sir Timothy and Dorcas are very fond of one another. I learned that Dorcas was Timothy's first love but because of strong social pressure in 19th century Britain, Dorcas and Timothy were not able to marry because they are from different classes.

Fans of British television will recognize many familiar faces, including Ben Miles as Sir Midwinter, Claudie Blakley as Emma Timmins, Brendan Coyle as Robert Timmins, Julia Sawalha as Dorcas, Victoria Hamilton as Ruby Pratt and Dawn French as the raucous and irresponsible wayward Caroline.

The series has a beautiful pastoral setting to it and is for the most part an enjoyable look into English life in the late 1800's. Part soap opera and part drama, it's pure clean fun. Lark Rise to Candleford is void of sex, violence and crassness which dominates most media today.

So far I have immensely enjoyed the incredible millinery creations worn by dressmaker-sisters Ruby and Pearl, the outrageous Caroline Arliss and the steady performances of Coyle and Sawalha. Olivia Hallinan's performance as Laura is outstanding with her expressiveness and innocence perfect for this piece. Her only difficulty seems to be with her accent which sometimes slips into an Irish brogue. C'est quoi?


I'm looking forward to watching more in the series this week.