Robert Crawley

## The Right Honourable7th Earl of Grantham

 Viscount Downton (1865-1890)
 Lord Grantham
 His Lordship
 Your Lordship
 My Lord
 Milord
 Papa
 Robert
 Darling (by Cora Crawley)
 My darling (by Cora Crawley)
 My dear (by Violet Crawley)
 Cousin Robert
Our local milord (by Sarah Bunting)
 Donk (by his grandchildren)

 Miss Caroline Talbot
 Peter Pelham, Earl of Brancaster
 Lord Theodore Pelham
 Arthur Crawley, Viscount Downton
Lord Benedict Crawley
Lord Christopher Crawley
Lady Diana Crawley
Lord Edmund Crawley

 Mr. Harold Levinson (brother-in-law)
 Mr. Marmaduke Painswick † (brother-in-law, via Rosamund)
 Ms. Delilah Mellark (sister-in-law, via Rosamund)
 Mr. Tom Branson (former son-in-law, via Sybil)
 Mr. Matthew Crawley † (son-in-law, via Mary)
 Mr. Henry Talbot (former son-in-law, via Mary)
 Herbert Pelham, Marquess of Hexham (son-in-law, via Edith)
 Josephine Crawley, Countess of Grantham (daughter-in-law, via Alex)
 Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire (maternal first cousin)
 Hugh MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire (maternal first cousin-in-law)
 Rose Aldridge, Lady Sinderby (maternal first cousin once removed)
 Atticus Aldridge, Lord Sinderby (maternal first cousin-in-law once removed)
 Hon. Victoria Rachel Cora Aldridge (maternal first cousin twice removed)
 Hon. Hugh Daniel Atticus Aldridge (maternal first cousin twice removed)
 Hon. Robert Alexander David Aldridge (maternal first cousin twice removed)
 Maud, Lady Bagshaw (paternal first cousin once removed)
 Ms. Lucy Branson (née Smith) (paternal first cousin twice removed)

Robert, Viscount Downton (circa 1880s)

## Coat of Arms

Arms of Robert, Viscount Downton (1865-1900)

Arms of the Rt. Hon. 7th Earl of Grantham (1900-1932)

**Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham** (b. 4 July, 1865-d. 25 December, 1932) is the former patriarch of the Crawley family and former co-owner of the Downton Estate. He is the youngest child and only son of Patrick and Violet Crawley, Earl and Countess of Grantham, and the brother of Lady Rosamund Painswick. He also became a member of the Levinson Family through his marriage.

He is the husband of the late Cora Crawley, and the father of Mary, Edith, Sybil, and Alexander Crawley. And through he four children, he has eleven grandchildren.

## Biography

* Early Life
* Marriage and Children
* Military Career
* Death

Robert was born in Downton Abbey on the 4 July, 1865 to the 6th Earl of Grantham and Countess of Grantham. Robert has an older sister, Rosamund, but no brothers. Although the parents loved their children very much, his mother Violet tells Isobel Crawley that when young the children spent most of their time with a nanny. She spent about an hour with them, *"every"* day, after tea.

Robert was raised by his father so that he could take care of the estate after his father's death. Because of their straitened financial situation, his father knew that Robert would have to marry a wealthy heiress who would bring a large dowry in order to ensure the survival of the estate.

On 16 February 1890, Robert—then known by the courtesy title **Viscount Downton**, married American heiress Cora Levinson. Cora is the daughter of Isidore and Martha Levinson, and came across to England with Martha in 1889 when she was 20 years old. Isidore was an American millionaire, and when Cora married Robert, Robert's father forced her to sign a legal entailment which merged Cora's fortune into the estate. When Robert dies, whoever inherited the title would also get all the money that Cora brought into the marriage.

In 1912, Robert admitted to his mother that he was ashamed of his motives for pursuing Cora. After about a year of marriage, Robert did fall in love with Cora. They had four children: Mary Josephine, Edith Violet, Sybil Cora, and Alexander Isidore. As their youngest was their only son, he would inherit both of his father's titles and his mother's money—all in accordance with the entail.

Upon his father's death in 1900, he became the 7th Earl of Grantham, with Cora becoming Countess of Grantham.

Robert served in the Second Boer War from 1899–1902, during which time John Bates—later to be his valet, was his batman. He was decorated with the Queen's South Africa Medal (which means he served in South Africa up to the end of the war in May 1902), and the King's South Africa Medal (which means he fought in 1902, and served for 18 months).

On 9 August 1902, Robert attended the coronation of King Edward VII and participated in the coronation parade, which earned him the King Edward VII Coronation Medal. In 1911, he was similarly decorated with the King George V Coronation Medal.

Robert died suddenly on the evening of Christmas 1932. The car that they were riding home, after celebrating Alex's birthday with a ball at the Grantham House. The car they were on exploded upon its arrival on Downton's driveway. All three of his children and his children-in-laws witnessed the horrific explosion with their very eyes. They were both buried at the cemetery of St. Michael and All Angels Church.

Upon his death, he was succeeded by his only son—who has just turned 18 years old at the time of their demise.
## Appearance and Personality

Robert is a handsome-looking person, and has attracted even the young men of Eton once in his youth—as he once said that *"if he had to kiss every boy at Eton, he'd gone hoarse in a month!".*

He had brown hair and bright blue eyes—inherited from his father and mother, respectively. And while Rosamund looks like their father, her bears an uncanny resemblance to his mother.

Robert was well-respected by his peers, respectful, well-mannered and gentle. He was quite the epitome of a stoic Englishman, but his marriage and family made him soften overtime.

He is immensely proud of Downton as the place he grew up and takes his responsibility for the estate very seriously—values that he has passed on to his son. Although in some ways his character embodies the traditional values of the aristocracy, Robert does not shun all progress, and he is very protective of and loyal to his family and servants.

Despite these virtues, Robert's adherence to tradition lets him down in other ways. He often resists "modern" suggestions for better management of the estate, especially after his children Mary and Alex joins his son-in-law Tom in running it. His attitudes occasionally clash with that of the more progressive and pragmatic attitudes of both his wife and son.

## Name Etymology

* **Robert** is a male name of German, English origin, meaning *"bright fame"*.

* **Patrick** is a male name of Latin origin, meaning *"noble, patrician"*.
	+ He was most likely named after his own father.