Martha Levinson

## Mrs.Martha Levinson

Mother (by Cora Crawley and Harold Levinson)
 Grandmama (by Mary, Edith, Sybil, and Alexander)
Your Mother (by Robert Crawley)
Dreadful Woman (by Violet Crawley)
That Woman (by Violet Crawley)
The Queen of Sheba (by Violet Crawley)
The American Contingent (by Mary Crawley)

Mr. Matthew Crawley † (grandson-in-law)
 Mr. Tom Branson (grandson-in-law)
 Mr. Henry Talbot (former grandson-in-law)
 Herbert Pelham, Marquess of Hexham (grandson-in-law)
 Josephine Crawley, Countess of Grantham (granddaughter-in-law)
 Miss Sybbie Branson (great-granddaughter)
 Mr. George Crawley (great-grandson)
 Miss Marigold Pelham (great-granddaughter)
 Miss Caroline Talbot (great-granddaughter)
 Peter Pelham, Earl of Brancaster (great-grandson)
 Lord Theodore Pelham (great-grandson)
 Arthur Crawley, Viscount Downton (great-grandson)
 Lord Benedict Crawley (great-grandson)
Lord Christopher Crawley (great-grandson)
 Lady Diana Crawley (great-granddaughter)
 Lord Edmund Crawley (great-grandson)

Mrs. Martha Levinson (circa 1880s)

**Mrs. Martha Levinson** (b. 24 April, 1844-d. 30 August, 1934) was the widow of Isidore Levinson and the mother of the late Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, and Harold Levinson. She was the matriarch of the Levinson Family until her death.

## Biography

* Early Life
* Marriage and Children
* Death

Martha Levinson was born on the 24 April, 1844 in Chicago, Illinois.

She possibly had one sister, whom both Cora and Harold had a better relationship with their aunt than they do with their own mother. She may have been deceased by 1920.

She married Isidore Levinson in 1864. Isidore is a wealthy self made dry goods merchant who lived in Cincinnati. As far as her daughter is aware, she did "not consider converting" to Judaism.

Martha and Isidore had two children together: Cora Elizabeth (b. 1868) and Harold Ernest (b. 1870). Isidore's religion was Ashkenazi Jewish, but she and their children are Episcopalians.

The couple, along with little Cora resided in a small cottage Cincinnati, Ohio at the start of Isidore's business. Two years after Harold's birth, they all moved to New York, where his business even boomed and made them wealthy.

At the height of The Gilded Age, the Levinsons—along with other new money families, became members of the elite Four Hundred Society. It was during that time that Martha purchased a mansion in Newport, which they named The Illinois—which became one of the most recognizable houses of the era.

In 1889, Martha brought Cora to London in order to find Cora a husband. The following year, Cora and Robert Crawley—then Viscount Downton, were married, making Cora the Viscountess Downton. Robert had needed to marry an heiress in order to secure Downton's future, and he did not love Cora, but he did later fall in love with her. Cora brought a large fortune as a dowry, which Patrick, 6th Earl of Grantham, tied to the title in order to ensure that whoever becomes the Earl of Grantham can maintain the tradition. Eventually, after the death of Patrick in 1900, the Viscount and Viscountess became the 7th Earl and Countess of Grantham.

Martha died of old age on the 30 August 1934, shortly after the marriage of her youngest grandchild, Alex to Miss Josephine Lewis. She was surrounded by her family around her deathbed.

According to her last will and testament, her four grandchildren will get equal shares of her own fortune—with Sybil's share going to her only daughter. She also transferred The Illinois to Alex's name, and gave a small portion of her remaining money to Jo, whom she had taken under her wing while the latter studied in America.
## Appearance and Personality

Martha has blue eyes, and bright red hair. While her family is included in New York's prestigious list, she was socially ambitious and looked down upon by New York society.

She was very outspoken and gives her opinion frequently. Robert talked about her bringing up unpleasant things from the past and never letting them forget, while Cora described her as bringing drama with her. She talked frequently with the servants and seems to enjoy teasing them.

## Present Family

While Harold never married nor had any children, she is the grandmother of Robert and Cora's four children: Mary Josephine (b. 1891), Edith Violet (b. 1892), Sybil Cora (b. 1895), and Alexander Isidore (b. 1914). Her only grandson is the current holder of the Earldom of Grantham.

Through her grandchildren, she has eleven great-grandchildren: Mary's children, son George, and daughter Caroline; Sybil's daughter Sybbie; Edith's children, daughter Marigold, and sons Peter and Theodore; and Alex's children, sons Arthur, Benedict, Christopher, Edmund, and daughter Diana.

## Name Etymology

* **Martha** is a female name of Aramaic origin, meaning *"lady"*.
* **Frances** is a female name of Latin origin, meaning *"from France; free man"*.