Season 1

Episode 1

scullery maids: One of the first characters we meet is Daisy, who at the time is a scullery maid or kitchen maid. The scullery maid was perhaps the lowest position within the household staff. Her duties were some of the dirtiest and most physically demanding amongst the staff. Scullery maids were responsible for cleaning dishes, pots, and pans; scrubbing the floors; emptying chamber pots; starting fires. The scullery maid was often responsible for food prep such as dicing, paring, and other basic tasks in the kitchen. Daisy evolves from a scullery maid and kitchen maid to eventually assistant cook, but here, when we first meet her, she is very much at the bottom of the downstairs hierarchy. Scullery maids were often very young girls, some barely in their teens. You can read more about the life of a scullery maid here.

blacking the stove: Mrs. Patmore reminds Daisy to finish blacking the stove. This involves applying a special polish or paste to a wood-burning cast-iron stove to restore its appearance and protect it from rust. The main ingredient in the blacking was graphite or plumbago. Read more about blacking here.

ironing the newspapers: William’s job is to iron the newspapers before the family reads them. Miss O’Brien tells ues this is to dry the ink so that it doesn’t get on the fingers of proper lords and ladies — and she’s exactly right, that’s why it was done. Oil-based printing inks needed hours to dry fully. When they left the printer’s, they were dry enough to be transported safely but would have smudged up the readers’ fingers. Getting the papers dry enough to read cleanly could be helped along with dry heat, such as from an iron.

Lamerie candlesticks: Carson asks where the fourth Lamarie candlestick is; Barrow tells me that Lord Grantham took it up to the bedroom with him. Paul Jacques de Lamerie was a London-based silversmith described by The Victoria and Albert Museum as “the greatest silversmith working in England in the 18th century.” Dukes, earls, tsarinas, kings and all manner of aristocracy owned Lamerie pieces. Here’s an example currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

morning room: The morning room was typically used by the lady of the house for writing letters, doing embroidery, managing household affairs, planning menus, and receiving informal visitors. The room was typically bathed in morning sunlight. Here you can see Downton’s own, the morning room at Highclere Castle.

The Times and The Sketch: Carson tells William to get these two newspapers ironed first, as they are the ones Lord and Lady Grantham will want to read first. The Times is also known as The Times of London, and is still in print today. It has a long and complex history with the Tory party, and favored an establishmentarian stance (which is probably why Robert preferred it). The Sketch was an illustrated journal that ran from 1893 to 1959 and was a society paper that featured and was favored by aristocratic ladies.

Lady Rothes (Lucy): Cora is concerned about the fate of one of her contemporaries, Lucy Rothes, in the wake of the Titanic disaster. Lucy Noël Martha Leslie, Countess of Rothes, was a real person and a passenger on the Titanic on its fateful voyage. She was a member of the British aristocracy and a philanthropist, and she survived the sinking. In fact, she was a heroine of the disaster, taking the tiller of her lifeboat and helping row the craft to safety. She was a politically active figure and fought for women’s suffrage. (She was an anti-socialist, though, and wouldn’t have gotten along too well with Tom Branson on that score). You can read more about her life here.

JJ and Madeleine Astor: Cora also wonders about the fate of JJ Astor, speculating that that “new wife of his” was probably taken off the ship to safety. These were real people as well. John Jacob Astor IV was a millionaire and one of the richest men in the world at the time of his death in 1912, with the sinking of the Titanic. Heir to the Astor fortune, he built landmark hotels like the Astoria and the St. Regis in New York City. Divorced in 1909, at the age of 47 he married 18 year-old debutante Madeleine Talmage Force. Divorce and remarriage was still rare and the time, and their age difference and Madeleine’s much more humble background led to a lot of side-eyeing from society, which you can hear reflected in Cora’s comment. She was right, though. Madeleine was taken to safety in one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, and later that year gave birth to JJ’s son, John Jacob Astor VI. Read more about this remarkable family here.

breakfast in bed: We see Cora having her breakfast in bed here in the first episode, and we will learn throughout the series that this is the custom for married aristocratic ladies (Mary does it as well, once she’s married) but not unmarried ones; when Edith is left at the altar, Anna offers to bring her a tray but she bitterly comments that as an unmarried woman she should go down for breakfast. But why? There are a few reasons, involving status and practicality. In the hierarchy of the day, married women were perceived to have a higher status than unmarried women, and having breakfast in bed was a perk of that status. Also, married women could be pregnant and therefore dealing with morning sickness, so were therefore spared a more public meal. Lastly, married ladies had more social obligations than unmarried ones, and presumably needed more time to dress and attend to their hair, generally with the assistance of a ladies’ maid. This site gives us a little insight on what those breakfasts may have consisted of.

laws of Inheritance, titles: Inheritance, both of titles and of property, is an important theme in Downton Abbey. The important thing to know in regard to titles, such as Robert’s earldom, is that the law followed the rule of male primogeniture. In other words, titles could only be passed down to sons, or to the nearest male heir. Robert had no sons. If he’d had a younger brother, that brother would have been the heir, or that brother’s son after him, and so on. Sometimes you have to reach back pretty far in the family tree to get to the next surviving male heir, and that’s why, when Patrick Crawley dies, it’s Matthew who’s next to inherit — even though he’s Robert’s third cousin once removed, he’s the closest surviving direct male line heir. Both Robert and Matthew were descended from the 3rd Earl of Grantham. That 3rd earl was Robert’s great-great-grandfather, and Matthew’s great-great-great-grandfather. There’s an excellent family tree here that shows the Crawley family tree in detail. Male primogeniture is still followed in England, though the the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 abolished it for the Crown, only — in other words, the heir to the British throne is now the eldest child, whether male or female. This act applies only to the monarchy, however, and not peerages throughout Britain.

laws of inheritance, estates and entails: Ah, the entail. That’s a different kettle of fish altogether. Again, remember: Mary could never have inherited the title because of the rules of male primogeniture. But that’s not the reason she can’t get the estate and, more importantly, the money. The reason for that is that Robert’s father, the 6th Earl of Grantham, created a will, an entail, that stated as much: that his estate and fortune would only pass down to the next male heir. This included Cora’s dowry, which was sizable. Robert frequently refers to it as “Cora’s money,” and Cora does as well, but as is pointed out by Robert himself: Cora’s money isn’t really Cora’s money anymore. It’s part of the estate of Downton. So because of the entail, it passes to Matthew, the next male heir. Violet spends a lot of time trying to “break” the entail, so that Mary could get the estate and the money at least, but in truth, it was never going to happen. The only way for the entail to end would be if there was *no* living male heir anywhere in the Crawley line, which is unlikely. If Matthew had died in the war, for example, even if they had to go back generations, they most likely would have found a still-more-distant cousin to be the next heir. If, however, there simply was not another male heir anywhere in the line, then and only then could Robert have made a new will that left his estate to his daughter. At the same time, though, in that circumstance, the title, the earldom (which Mary could not ever have inherited) would have died out. Instead, though, all of this was avoided as Matthew fathered a son, George, who will inherit both his grandfather’s title and estate. This site explains it all quite well.

milk train: When John Bates unexpectedly arrives at Downton Abbey early one morning, he tells the staff that he caught the milk train. The railway system of had a very early milk train that ran from the dairies in the countryside to the major cities. These trains left quite early in the morning, and were generally the first train of the day. The railway began carriage passage on these trains as well, for people who wanted an early start to the day. Eventually the term “catching the milk train” entered the English vernacular, meaning to get up and catch the early train.

full mourning: When Mary learns that Patrick Crawley, her cousin and sort-of fiancé is dead, her first question is whether or not she needs to go into full mourning. Robert is somewhat befuddled, pointing out that they all will need to do so, as Patrick was family. Mary specifies that she means for “the other thing.” What Mary is getting at is that, in 1912, the tail-end of the Edwardian era, the rules of fiancees and widows of the deceased were stricter than for other family members. The entire family would go into full mourning for a time, and then relax to half mourning before leaving their grieving garments and customs behind entirely. This article speaks specifically to the mourning rites for widows, which were much stricter: “During the first year of mourning, women wore their “widow’s weeds” which included a long black silk cloak, crape bonnet and veil, crape dress with plain muslin collar and broad cuffs.” This full mourning period, for a widow, could extend as long as two and a half years, during which time there was no socializing allowed. Mary, a young woman who had not been much attached to her cousin/fiancé, was not eager to spend the next year or more of her life in widow’s weeds, and hence her relief when Robert says she may mourn Patrick as merely a family member, and not as his future wife. Family members, particularly cousins, mourned for a much shorter period of time. Sybil mentions that according to Mama, they only need to wear black for a month before going into half mourning (which usually involved mauves, grays, and purples) before returning to full colors “in September.” As the Titanic sank (and Patrick and James died) in April, their entire period of mourning ended up being about five months.

snuff boxes: When the use of tobacco first became popular in the 17th century, it was usually pulverized and then sniffed up the nose. Its use spread throughout Europe, with even kings and queens taking part, with the pulverized powder was kept in ornate little boxes known as snuff boxes. These little boxes often had elaborate craftsmanship and artistry, and became prized collections themselves long after the fad of sniffing tobacco had faded. Lord Grantham is one such collector. You can read more about the history and art of snuff boxes here.

Long John Silver: Barrow scathingly refers to Bates as Long John Silver, a fictional character from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Silver is a stereotypical example of a pirate: salty, hardworking, a parrot on his shoulder, and a hidden villainous nature. But most notable, Long John Silver had a wooden leg, or pegleg, and so Barrow is mocking Bates’ own disability with this literarily clever but mean-spirited nickname.

public holiday: Mrs. Hughes asks the gossiping Barrow and O’Brien if today is a public holiday she’s not aware of, that explains their loitering about. A public holiday in the UK is the same as a federal holiday in the US, or a civic holiday in Canada — a day designated by the government as a non-working day for most people, with government offices and many businesses closed.

entail: An entail is also known as a fee tail, and is a form of trust, established by deed or settlement, that restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate and prevents that property from being sold, devised by will or otherwise dispensed of by the tenant-in-possession, and instead causes it to pass automatically, by law, to an heir determined by the settlement deed. For more information on Downton’s entail, see also the entry on laws of inheritance, estates and entails, above.

dowager: Ah, the Dowager Countess has made her first appearance. Why dowager? A dowager is a widow whose title was derived from their spouse. In other words, she was married to the Earl, which made her a Countess, but after his death she no longer holds that title in her own name and is instead his widow and the Dowager Countess. The same would apply for a duchess, queen, etc., though in recent history the dowager queen of England chose to be referred to as the Queen Mother instead.

salt of sorrel: salt of sorrel is potassium binoxalate (KHC₂O₄), also known as potassium hydrogen oxalate or potassium bioxalate. It’s a chemical compound derived from oxalic acid, and it’s naturally found in sorrel plants. Historically, it’s been used for stain removal and metal cleaning, and today is used in photography. It is poisonous, and that’s why Daisy panics when she mistakenly gives it to William for the dinner table.

Canadians and the Titanic cemetery: Robert and Murray talk about the cemetery the Canadians have created for Titanic victims. There are three cemeteries in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where Titanic victims were buried. Fairview Lawn Cemetery is the most well-known of these and holds the graves of 121 victims of the sinking of the Titanic. Halifax was the closest port to the site of the sinking. Ships from Halifax were dispatched to assist in the recovery of bodies of the deceased whenever possible. There is a cross-section of passengers buried there, including both first- and third-class passengers. The headstones were paid for by the White Star Line, the owners of the Titanic. Ten victims were buried at the Baron de Hirsch Cemetery, also in Halifax, because they had mistakenly been identified as being of Jewish descent. Mount Olivet Cemetery is in Halifax as well, and 19 victims are buried there.

decanting port: We see Carson in his office decanting a red wine, likely port. In British households at that time, decanting port or other reds was an important duty of the butler. Robert may take an interest in wine, but that’s just a hobby: seeing to the wine itself was Carson’s job. Decanting wine is a process where the wine is transferred from its bottle to a new container, a decanter. This allows the wine to breath and separate any sediment that may be present. Doing this can enhance the wine’s flavors and aromas. This site is a good resource for learning how to decant wine.

bet you a tanner: Barrow uses this phrase; a tanner is slang for six pence, or a sixpenny piece. It’s no different from saying, “I bet you a buck” today.

batman: In Episode 1 we learn that John Bates was Lord Grantham’s batman when fighting the Boers. In military terms, a batman was a soldier assigned to a commissioned officer as his personal attendant or servant. The term, which long predates the caped superhero we know today, comes from the French word bât which means “pack saddle”; the batman would be responsible for the officer’s baggage and his pack horse if present, as well as maintaining his uniforms and other laundry. He’d also act as a general assistant in both a garrison and in the field. The position has a long history that continues to this day. As his former batman, then, it’s easy to see why Bates would be a perfect fit as Robert’s valet.

Boer War: It was during the Boer War that Bates served as batman to Robert, Lord Grantham. The Boer War was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the Boer Republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State in South Africa from 1899 to 1902. The war came about as a result of tensions arising from British expansionism as well as the discovery of gold and diamonds in the mines of South Africa. The British ultimately prevailed, but there were significant casualties on both sides.

The Gaiety: The Dowager Countess says that electricity makes her feel as if she were “on the stage at the Gaiety.” The Gaiety is a West End theatre in Westminster, London. It was first established as The Strand Musick Hall in 1864 and later renamed The Gaiety in 1868. In the 19th century, it featured musical burlesques, pantomimes, and operettas, and became the home for musical comedy in Britain, having a major influence on that theatrical form. The theatre closed in 1939 and stood empty throughout World War II, during which it suffered extensive damage from air raids. The building was demolished in 1957.

electricity and vapours: The Dowager Countess expresses her dislike of newfangled electricity, speaking of “all those vapours seeping about.” And she’s not the only one, as this speaks to the general fear that the invention of electricity produced as its use became more widespread in the early 1900s. This reference to “vapours” refers to an all-around misunderstanding and unfamiliarity with the science behind electricity: some people mistakenly thought that the electrical current could escape in the form of leaks or vapours, causing illness or death. Mind you, early electricity was not as safe as it is today, but there weren’t any “vapours” involved. For most people at that time, electricity was an almost mystical and incomprehensible force — a very convenient one, though, which is why its use prevailed despite those early fears. Here’s an excellent article on the subject, What Downton Abbey Can Teach Us About the Future of Energy.

penny dreadful: When Daisy talks about the Titanic sinking, O’Brien tells her she sounds like a “penny dreadful.” Penny dreadfuls were serialized, inexpensive publications popular in Victorian England, primarily aimed at working-class readers. They featured sensational stories of adventure, crime, and horror, often with violent or morally questionable content. They often cost a penny an issue — hence the name. They were salacious but widely read. For some examples and a bit about their impact, visit here. In the meantime, in other words, O’Brien was calling Daisy overdramatic.

dower house: A dower house was a secondary house located on the grounds of the main estate, usually reserved for use by the estate’s dowager, the widow of the estate’s lord (though it could also be inhabited by other relatives). In Victorian and Edwardian times, women frequently (though not always of course) tended to outlive their husbands; amongst the aristocracy it was not unusual for a husband to be a bit older than his wife. Upon his death, a dower house allowed the dowager to still have her own, separate household while the lord’s heir (and his wife) took over the primary house. As you can imagine, it wouldn’t have gone too well if Violet kept living at the Abbey after Cora married Robert. Byfleet Manor in Surrey was used as the filming location for the Dower House in the Downton Abbey series.

Dukes (and other titles): Mary’s not the only one who’s excited that a Duke was coming to call: Cora, Violet, Carson, and much of the rest of the staff was in a tizzy over the idea that the eldest daughter of the house might marry a Duke. The detailed intricacies of British aristocratic rank are too much to go into here, but suffice to say, after the Royal Family itself of course, the British peerage system is ranked as follows: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron. So, had things worked out with the Duke of Crowborough, Mary would have been one of the highest ranked in the land. No wonder they were excited! Edith, as it turns out, is the one who marries up by ending up with Bertie Pelham, the Marquess of Hexham — outranking her own parents in the process.

gild the lily: Mary is determined to catch the Duke’s eye and adds a flower behind her ear. Cora plucks it away before she can go downstairs, saying, “Let’s not gild the lily, dear.” In simplest terms, this phrase means, “Don’t add unnecessary ornamentation, it looks better without it.” It also can have a tinge of, “You’re trying too hard.” This phrase is often attributed to William Shakespeare, though his exact phrase is “paint the lily.”
From King John:
“To gild refinèd gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.”

dining en famille: The Duke of Crowborough reassures Cora that he is honored to be “dining en famille.” The literal translation is dining among family, and the phrase indicates a slightly less formal setting than one with guests present. While these meals were not as elaborate, there were still customs of dress and a multi-course meal was presented.

Wren: The Dowager Countess suggests that the Duke might want to see her cottage (the Dower House), as it was designed by Wren. She is referring to Christopher Wren, an English architect born in 1623 and died in 1723. Wren was not just the greatest English architect of all time, he was also a designer, astronomer, and geometrician. He designed 53 churches in London, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as many secular buildings.

Mary’s settlement: Robert tries to reassure the Duke of Crowborough that he will not find Mary’s settlement to be ungenerous. A settlement or marriage portion is also referred to as a dowry. It’s an amount or property that is bestowed by a parent on a daughter of the estate at the time of her marriage. A settlement could be composed of cash funds or the “living” from a certain amount (comparable to the interest on one’s assets), or property. Cora’s settlement was so large it saved Downton Abbey from bankruptcy; Mary’s won’t be anywhere near that big, and it’s not enough to tempt the Duke, who was hoping for quite a bit more. Think of a settlement as a trust fund, in a way, but one that was rendered upon marriage.

first post: The first episode of Downton Abbey ends with a glimpse of the new heir, Matthew Crawley, and his mother, Isobel. The letter that arrives from Robert, that changes their lives, comes on the first post. Matthew and Isobel were at that time living in Manchester, a large and cosmopolitan city. In England in the early part of the 20th century, in cities and urban areas, mail was often delivered several times a day, perhaps as many as six times a day in a place like Manchester, or even twelve times a day in London. First post was the earliest mail delivery of the day, then, and came quite early — Isobel and Matthew are eating breakfast when the letter arrives. Even as recently as 15-20 years ago there was twice-daily mail in the UK.

Episode 2

Cousin Mary (or Cousin Cora, Cousin Robert, etc.): When Matthew comes to Downton, he calls his new relatives not by their given name alone, but with “Cousin” in front of it. Later in the series we’ll see Rose do the same. What’s the distinction? Well, it’s because these are relatives, after all, so Matthew wouldn’t be expected to call them “Lord Grantham” or “Lady Mary.” But in early 20th century Britain, using just a given name alone would have been reserved for just immediate family members, not cousins — and not very distant cousins like Matthew. So using “Cousin Mary” instead of “Lady Mary” or “Mary” sits right in that in-between spot. How to address peers and aristocrats is a pretty complicated business that we’ll return to again; this site gives a lot of excellent examples for how a number of main Downton Abbey characters were correctly addressed.

ladies’ maid: Early in Episode 2, O’Brien says, “She’s not a lady’s maid. She’s a housemaid who fastens hooks and buttons when she has to. There’s more to it than that, you know.” She’s absolutely right; being a ladies’ maid, much like being a valet, required specialized training. They were hairdressers, personal assistants, makeup artist, dressers, and often confidants, all rolled into one. They would need to possess sewing skills and stay abreast of all the current fashions and hair styles. They needed to know all the correct etiquette of society so that they could make sure their aristocratic employers would always be correctly dressed, coifed, and adorned at every occasion. The ladies’ maid would get up before her mistress and go to bed after; during the day she would mend, prepare, and generally keep everything in readiness. You would have to imagine that it was a position that required skill, discretion, and patience. You can read more about ladies’ maids here and here.

Are we heck as like!: Again, it’s O’Brien that says this with a great deal of fervor in Episode 2. “Heck as like” is a Yorkshire saying that means “not at all” or “no way” or perhaps “certainly not.” O’Brien is saying, essentially, the Yorkshire version of, “We most certainly are not!” or, to put it another way, “Nuh-uh!”

evening post: In England in the early part of the 20th century, in cities and urban areas, mail was often delivered several times a day, perhaps as many as six times a day in a place like Manchester, or even twelve times a day in London. When Robert refers to the “evening post,” this could have arrive quite late indeed, perhaps even nine or ten o’clock at night.

cottage hospital: We learn quite a bit in Episode 2 about the Downton Cottage Hospital, as it is rather uncreatively named, when it is described to Isobel. Series creator Julian Fellowes stated in the Season One Script Book that he wanted a second location in Downton, other than just the Abbey, for stories to take place. Cottage hospitals developed in rural Britain beginning in the 1880s. Patients in those rural areas who could not access larger and more advanced hospitals in urban areas, so doctors developed these smaller cottage hospitals that enabled them to provide services locally. The hospitals were all eventually nationalized and incorporated into the wider system (you’ll hear more about that later).

Mr. Lloyd George: Robert refers to Mr. Lloyd George and his insurance measures while discussing the hospital. David Lloyd George was Britain’s Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922 and dominated the British political scene in the latter part of World War I. Before that, and when Robert is speaking, he was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1905 to 1915. He championed social and welfare reform, proposing the 1909 People’s Budget (which was at first rejected, then approved in 1910). In 1911, he was one of the leaders behing the National Insurance Act 1911 , which created a system of health insurance for industrial workers in Great Britain based on contributions from employers, the government, and the workers themselves. It was one of the foundations of the modern welfare state, and what Robert was referring to here.

Footmen and the proper way to serve: Barrow, while serving Matthew, rather insultingly says, “I will hold it steady and you can help yourself, sir,” as if Matthew wouldn’t know how to eat in polite company. Matthew most certainly did not need Barrow’s instruction, but many of us would have: why does the family serve themselves from dishes the footmen awkwardly hold next to them? (This comes up in a big way later on, when Alfred joins Downton as a footman, but more on that later.) What we’re seeing is what was known as butler service, versus silver service. In a hotel at that time, for example, you would receive silver service (or Russian service). The waiter would place food on your plate from the serving dish (or bring it out already plated). Butler service is slightly more informal, but very proper for dining at Downton: the footman or butler holds the serving dish and guests serve themselves.

conveyancing: Matthew tells the family he will be taking a job at Harvell and Carter, doing mostly wills and conveyancing. Conveyancing is the branch of law corned with the preparation of documents for the transfer or property. Matthew is decidedly not a trial lawyer or a litigator. His field seems to firmly be in estate law, which is why Violet is correct — he is exactly the right person to look into the entail to see if can be broken.

servery: Mrs. Patmore tells Daisy to take food to the servery. This would have been similar to a butler’s pantry and was a transitional space between the kitchen and the dining room, where servants would organize and prepare food before taking it out to be served. It was a staging area, and also a place to store fine china and serving dishes.. This space acted as a buffer between the noise and bustle of the kitchen and the formal dining area, giving guests the illusion of perfect, effortless service. In Downton, the kitchens were all the way downstairs so there was a bit of a physical separation between these two areas already, but in a smaller house the servery or butler’s pantry would have been vital.

savoury: We often hear Mrs. Patmore or someone else on the kitchen staff mention “the savoury”. The savoury is a uniquely British culinary tradition, a small salty course served at the end of a formal British meal, traditionally after the sweet course (what we would think of as dessert) but before the traditional British dessert (which consisted of fruit and nuts), followed by port and cigars for men. Some examples of savouries would be something with cheese, mushrooms, Welsh rarebit, or milt on toast (many savouries were served on toast).

The Conquerer: William voices the (as it turns out erroneous) opinion that Carson must come from a line of butlers going back to the Conquerer. He’s referring to William I, better know as William the Conquerer, who was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 to his death in 1087. He was born illegitimate but ruled as the Duke of Normandy after his father, Robert I of Normandy, and invaded England, winning victory over the Anglo-Saxon forces in 1066. William and his wife Matilda had nine children, founding a dynasty whose descendants still sit on the throne of England today. Anything “going back to William the Conquerer” would be a long and storied lineage indeed.

it’s a case of the warhorse and the drum: Dr. Clarkson compliments Isobel on her interest in the hospital, and she says this to him in return, saying, “You know my late husband was a doctor?” The idiom means that some people will forever be drawn to a certain profession or interest, indicating an innate connection they cannot resist. Warhorses were known for their strength and bravery, and were trained to respond to the sound of drums in battle. Drums were once vital in warfare, used for communication, signaling, and motivation. In other words, then, Isobel is saying that the call of medicine is so deeply ingrained in her that she will never be able to resist it.

dropsy: Poor Mr. Drake has dropsy, and of the heart, not the liver, we are told. Dropsy is an outdated term for what we now call edema, a condition characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in the body’s tissues and cavities. It is usually an indication of underlying heart, liver, or kidney disease. Dr. Clarkson makes it sound as if Mr. Drake is unfortunate to have dropsy “of the heart, and not the liver,” but I’m not sure why as in liver disease, it is a very serious complication as well. Dropsy of the heart is cardiac edema, a condition where the heart fails to pump blood effectively, leading to the accumulation of fluid. Mr. Drake is suffering from pericardial effusion, and draining that fluid as Isobel suggested is a dramatic but effective treatment, According to this blog, the treatment shown on the show was medically accurate and is even still used today.

sailing close to the wind: Cora is angry at O’Brien’s presumption and tells her she’s “sailing perilously close to the wind.” According to the Cambridge dictionary, this phrase means doing something dangerous, or just barely legal or allowed. Cora is basically telling O’Brien she isn’t happy with what she’s said and that she needs to watch her tongue.

Meissen and Spode: Mrs. Hughes refers to these when talking about the dessert service. Meissen porcelain was the first European hard-paste porcelain. Production began in 1710, with the signature crossed-sword logo coming into use in 1720. That mark is one of the oldest trademarks in existence. Spode is an English brand of pottery. The company was founded in 1770. Around 1790, Spode perfected the formula for bone china. We have no way of knowing how old the pieces in the Downton collection were, from either collection, but they were of very high quality for sure.

sugar sifter: Carson is sure he put out at least three sugar sifters, but notes that one is missing. A sugar sifter was a small, ladle-shaped spoon used at the table to sprinkle powdered or lumped sugar from the sugar bowl to the family’s desserts, fruit, or pudding. You can see an example here.

Andromeda, King Cepheus, and the sea monster: Mary takes a very obvious shot at Matthew by relating the story of Andromeda, which she tells more or less accurately. Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia (whose constellation you might have seen in the skies) of Aethiopia. Cassiopeia boasted that she and/or her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the Nereids, who were nymphs of the sea. Angered, the sea god Poseidon sent the sea monster Cetus to ravage the coasts of Aethopia. To appease the god, Cassiopeia and Cepheus chain their daughter Andromeda to the rocks as a sacrificial offering to Cepheus, but Perseus rescued her after using the head of Medusa to petrify Cetus. Perseus then married Andromeda and she reigned as his queen. Basically the story Mary tells, except she puts on the blame on Andromeda’s father (just as Mary blames Robert) and doesn’t consider Cassiopeia’s role in the entire affair, let alone the cruelty of the gods.

the Grizzly Bear (dance): The Grizzly Bear was an early 20th-century dance style that originated in San Francisco; it was also popularly done on Staten Island ferry boats. Broadway audiences first saw it performed in the Ziegfeld Follies in 1910 by comedienne Fanny Brice. Here’s a video of it being performed in 1913 in France.

winding the clocks: Thomas, as part of his duties as first footman, winds the Downton Abbey clocks. In later seasons he shows Jimmy how to perform this task as well. Remember, no clocks were digital back in those days. These mechanical clocks needed to be wound regularly. You would insert a winding key into the designated hole on the clock’s face or back, and then turn the key clockwise until you could feel firm resistance. A clock also might have multiple winders, and the time-keeping spring would need to be wound completely, and then the chime and strike mechanisms. Some clocks need to be wound daily, some every week some once a month, and some “anniversary” clocks would last 400 days, but more commonly wound once a year. Most grandfather and wall clocks are eight-day clocks and would be wound once a week.

three bags full: Thomas asks O’Brien how she and Lady Crawley are getting along. She says it’s the same as usual, and Thomas quips, “Yes, my lady, no, may lady, three bags full.” He seems to be referring to the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep: “Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full.” I’m not sure there’s any other hidden meaning there, other than pointing out that as servants they have to do as they’re told.

reference/character: O’Brien is worried that if she quits the Abbey, Cora will ruin her with a nasty reference. A lady’s maid like O’Bried had to rely on a character, or a reference, from her former employer in order to receive a new position. This was their only way to prove they had any experience at all, and many would only hire experienced help. An angry or unscrupulous employer could ruin a servant’s chance of getting a new job, and without a good reference they could find themselves unemployable and in dire straights.

the balloon goes up: Robert tells Matthew that, “My dear Papa thought the balloon would go up in the 1880s.” This phrase means a situation would become very serious or even dire. This phrase popularly was used during both world wars; when enemy activity was expected, observations balloons would be released to monitor enemy troop movements. Since everyone could see these balloons, the sight of them became a sign of pending danger to all. But Robert says this in Season 1, which is set well before the First World War! However, there is documented usage of the phrase from as early as 1870, so it wasn’t an anachronism after all.

an act on the halls: Charles Grigg tells the astonished Anna, Robert, and Mr. Bates that he and Carson had an act on the halls. The “halls” referred to music halls where performances were often seen. These were places of entertainment mostly for the lower classes. To be “on the halls” meant that you were a performer and entertainer by trade. Grigg says their act was named The Cheerful Charlies; sadly, this duo was entirely fictional.

keep your hands out of the till: Carson says that he broke off with Griggs because he couldn’t keep his hands out of the till. A till was a cash register or cash box. To be caught with your hand in the till meant that you were caught stealing; an American version of this phrase would be to say that you were caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

Sydney Carton: Robert chastises Carson and tells him not to be so dramatic: “You’re not playing Sydney Carton.” Sydney Carton was a central character in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” He is charismatic and shrewd, and he becomes a better man through his love for Lucie Manette. His story arc is quite dramatic, which may be why Robert used him as an example here.

termagent: Violet very scathingly calls Isobel a termagent; this isn’t a widely-used insult nowadays. It’s an insulting name for a woman who likes to nag and scold.

Honourable: In episode 2 of Season 1, we meet the Honourable Evelyn Napier, who is enamoured of Mary (and remains so for the entire series) but knows that she is less than enamoured of him. Why is he an “honourable” exactly? Evelyn is, we are told, the son of Viscount Branksome (a fictional character). Viscount is a hereditary title of nobility (remember, the order is Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron). The children of dukes, marquesses, and earls use “lord” or “lady” as their courtesy title; the children of viscounts and barons use “honourable.” It is used formally, not in speech: Evelyn, for example, would be formally introduced as “The Honourable Evelyn Napier” but referred to as “Mr. Napier,” whereas Mary is called “Lady Mary” and not “Miss Crawley.”

doughty: Dr. Clarkson refers to Violet and Isobel as “two such doughty champions.” Doughty means determined, brave, persistent, and unwilling to accept defeat. Neither looks thrilled when he says it, probably because each thinks the other is far too bossy, stubborn, and opinionated; they don’t want to admit they actually have a lot in common, at least not yet.

Episode 3

Postmistress: This episode begins with the village postmistress. The role of “post master” dates back to the reign of Henry VIII. Remarkably, there are records of women being appointed to the role as early as the 1680s. The role was a complex one and has a storied history. It was not uncommon for the postmistress role to be handed down through generations and often held until an advanced age; the postmaster or postmistress was, as a result, a well-known figure in the community. You can read quite a bit more about the history of them here.

Exchange and Mart: Bates receives a 1913 Exchange and Mart at the post office. This publication still exists today but only in digital form; it was in print from 1868 to 2009. It was a pioneer in classified advertising, founded by William Cox in 1868. Its pages offered an extensive ranges of items for sale and job opportunities.

Doncaster Races: We hear of Evelyn Napier being at the Doncaster Races. This is referring to a racecourse — still operating today — in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. It is most famous for being the home of the St Leger Stakes, the world’s oldest classic horse race and the final leg of the British Triple Crown.

York and Ainsty: Mary tells us that Evelyn is “out with the York and Ainsty.” The York and Ainsty hunt was a renowned fox hunting club founded in 1816 in the York area of England. You can read an account of its early history online here. While fox hunting was banned in 2004, in Downton’s day, it was a popular sport for country gentlemen, and exactly the kind of activity a titled young man like Evelyn would have taken part in.

Correspondence course: Correspondence courses still exist even today — they were an early form of distance learning, most of which now takes place over the internet. A course such as the one Gwen is taking took place through the mail. The known correspondence course was advertised in the Boston Gazette in 1728, for shorthand lessons. Sir Isaac Pitman established one of the first formalized correspondence learning systems in England in the 1840s, sending shorthand lessons to students via post and then sending back their corrected work the same way. The University of London began offering degrees via correspondence in 1858.

bloom is off the rose: Violet advises that they need to get Mary married off soon, “before the bloom has quite gone off the rose.” This phrase means that something is no longer fresh and new, and is instead perhaps faded and old. There’s no documented first usage of the idiom, but it was in common use at least by the early 20th century, where we see it used here.

studbook: Violet feigns ignorance about Evelyn Napier’s prospects and Robert chides her, saying she’s already looked him up in the studbooks. Literally speaking, a studbook is a register of the pedigree of a purebred animal, such as a horse or a dog. Robert is using the term here colloquially referring to Evelyn’s lineage, or possibly more specifically Debrett’s Peerage and Baronetage, which is a genealogical guide to the British aristocracy.

ring for tea: Cora asks if she should ring for tea in this episode, but we’ve seen the family “ring” before. What was this system and how did it work? The bell system we see employed on Downton Abbey was a complex network of cords, pulleys, and wires connecting each room to a central location, often near the kitchen. When a resident pulled a cord (or later, pressed a button) in a room, a bell would ring, letting the staff know which room needed attention. The system’s mechanical design, which was later updated with electrical systems, even allowed for different bells to have distinct rings so servants knew which room to respond. At the abbey, the bell board was in the servants’ dining and break room, which meant that someone was always there to see or hear the call. You can read about all of the technical details here.

governess cart: Edith mentions getting Lynch to sort out the governess cart. This was a two-wheeled cart (sometimes called a governess car or tub cart) with a tub-shaped body; they were so named because they were initially used by governesses and shall children. Adults could use them as well, though; the governess cart resembled a wagonette, something else we hear mentioned on the show. The governess cart is relatively safe, difficult to overturn or fall out of. One would enter the cart from the rear, instead of entering in front of a wheel, and therefore it was safer for small children because they don’t risk being run over if the horse doesn’t stand still

Housekeeper’s role: Mrs. Hughes says that she is in charge of the welfare of the young women working as maids in the abbey, and this was very true. The housekeeper (who always used the term “Mrs.” even though housekeepers were invariable unmarried, as a sign of the respect she was due) on an estate like Downton Abbey was responsible not just for the care and appearance of the home, but was also in charge of all female staff. Many housemaids and kitchen maids were quite young and needed an authoritative figure to be in charge of their well-being and to safeguard their moral health; if a house had a reputation for ill morals and goings-on, it would reflect poorly on the lord and lady of the house, as well as prevent attracting good help. The housekeeper represented the lady of the house downstairs and ran that house in her stead. This blog has a lot of great information about the housekeeper’s duties, including an organizational chart.

ringing the dressing gong (or “ringing the dinner gong” or just, “ringing the gong”): On Downton Abbey, we never actually see Carson ring the gong, but we hear about it often. The purpose of doing so was to let the family know that it was time to begin preparing for dinner. There were several reasons why this was the custom. One, it was an indication of the formality associated with the dinner event. For another, it let ladies’ maids and valets know that it was time to get their charges ready. And for the family, it gave them time to dress and prepare for dinner, usually about an hour.

The Worsley Arms: The Worsley Arms Hotel is a hotel located in the village of Hovingham, York. It was built in 1841 in a late Georgian style and is still open today. You can visit their web site here, or visit the Hovingham web site for more information.

attaché: Kamal Pamuk is referred to as an “attaché for the Turkish embassy.” What is that, exactly? An attaché in an embassy is a specialist diplomatic representative assigned to a foreign country to handle a specific function, such as military, economic, or cultural matters. These officials represent their home country’s interests, advise the ambassador, and gather information related to their specialty. We’re told Mr. Pamuk’s father was a politician (the Sultan’s minister) and that he went to London for a conference to create an independent Albania, where Turkey’s support was deemed vital. Sadly, he never made it to the conference, but Albania did gain independence on November 28, 1912, even without his influence.

limp corrector: Bates purchases a limp corrector from a gentleman with dubious (read: none) medical credibility. We see the tortuous device do nothing but cause him suffering, until Mrs. Hughes convinces him to throw it in a lake and be done with it. These cruel “medical” devices were an all-too-common form of quack medicine, which let’s be frank, we still see today, though thankfully there are laws that at least attempt to protect consumers. You can read a rather depressing brief history of “medical quackery” in the U.S., for example, here.

stirrup cup and cake: The staff serves stirrup cup and cake to those partaking in the hunt at Downton Abbey. Stirrup cup is simply wine or some other alcoholic drink that is served to a person on horseback who is about to depart. This tradition still exists today.

Ottoman court: Evelyn Napier mentions that Kemal Pamuk’s father is a bigwig at the Ottoman court. The Ottoman Empire, also known as the Turkish Empire, controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th century to the early 20th century. Mehmed V was the Sultan at the time Evelyn says this, until 1918; the final Sultan, Mehmed VI, ruled until 1922, at which time the Sultanate was abolished and replaced with the Republic of Turkey.

Richard de Warenne: While Edith and Matthew are touring churches, she mentions Bishop Richard de Warren added the side aisles in the 14th century. I have not been able to find a definitive answer as to who this was or whether it was a real person: please let us know if you have any information.

a Cromwell casualty: Matthew mentions that one of the church screens was a “Cromwell casualty. Thomas Cromwell was Henry VIII’s Secretary, Lord Privy Seal, and in 1540, just before his downfall, Lord Great Chamberlain. Born a commoner, he rose through the ranks and served Cardinal Woseley before coming to Henry’s attention. Cromwell was one of the main architects behind the English Reformation and helped Henry form the Church of England. Cromwell directed the dissolution of over 800 monasteries, priories, and convents in England, Wales, and Ireland. The screen in question, according to Edith’s brochure commemorated Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s first wife and the woman he put away in order to marry Anne Boleyn and form the Church of England. I’m assuming Matthew means the screen is no longer there, as in, removed during Cromwell’s purge.

Mary’s dentist: A few things to dive into here. Mary says that their dentist smelled of “carbolic and mint.” Carbolic acid is an organic compound that has a sickly sweet compound. Then she says he has blunt fingers like fat glove stretchers. A glove stretcher is just what it sounds like: a tool used to stretch kid gloves. (You can see an example here.) The stretcher’s pointy end would be inserted into each finger to stretch the fabric so they could be put on more easily, or to restore them to shape after washing. It’s quite a vivid picture she paints of this fellow!

Trollope novel: Evelyn Napier says that the hunt was like something out of a Trollope novel. Anthony Trollope was a Victorian novelist. His most famous six novels are set in a fictional English countryside of Barsetshire and deal with landed gentry.

Princess Aurora: Robert says that Mary has more suitors than Princess Aurora. We know Aurora as Sleeping Beauty, and Robert was probably referring to her story from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty ballet. In Act I, during the famous Rose Adagio, Aurora is presented with four royal suitors. She dances with each as they attempt to win her hand.

“There are plenty more fish in the sea than ever came out of it.”: O’Brien says this to Cora, referring to Mary and Evelyn’s failed match. In modern times we’re used to the shortened version of this, “plenty more fish in the sea,” but this is the full expression. The first recorded use of this idiom is in a 1573 letter from English writer Gabriel Harvey to the poet Edmund Spenser, who may have once been Harvey’s pupil; later usages can be credited to some such as Sir Walter Scott. Read more here for the full texts.

Raise the white flag: Carson tells Mary, “Don’t raise the white flag yet.” Raising the white flag means to admit defeat. The use of the flag to request peaceful parley is part of the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. However, the first mention of the usage of white flags to surrender was made during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 CE). The historian Cornelius Tacitus, writing during the age of the Roman Empire, mentioned a white flag of surrender in 109 CE.

Shipshape and Bristol fashion: Mary tells Anna that she and Carson were just making sure everything was shipshape and Bristol fashion. This is an English idiom meaning that everything is well-organized, clean, and in good order, dating from the 18th century maritime practices in the port of Bristol. It refers to securing ships for extreme tidal changes where vessels would rest on the riverbed, ensuring cargo was properly stowed. Bristol was a major UK port with a high tidal range (up to 43 feet), forcing ships to be sturdy and well-organized to avoid damage when landing on the riverbed.

Episode 4

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Episode 5

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Episode 6

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Episode 7

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