Crawley Grandchildren

The **Crawley Grandchildren** are the eleven grandchildren of Robert and Cora Crawley, the late Earl and Countess of Grantham.

Out of the eleven children, they only get to see only six of them throughout their lifetime.

## Sybbie

**Sybil 'Sybbie' Máire Branson** is the daughter and only child of **Tom Branson** and the late Lady Sybil Branson (née Crawley). She is the eldest grandchild and granddaughter of Robert and Cora.

Her mother made the scandalous decision to marry Tom, the family's chauffeur, for love instead of money, power or title. The happy couple lived in Dublin, but came back to Downton Abbey a few months before Sybbie's birth. Sybbie was born at on 10 April, 1920. Hours after her birth, her mother Sybil tragically died from eclampsia.

Her heartbroken father had planned to move away to Liverpool with his infant daughter, but eventually decided to live at Downton until Sybbie was older. Her father spent a lot of time playing with her in the nursery, and the two have a close bond.

Sybbie is often with her cousin George, and the two seem to be great friends. The two have a special bond with Thomas Barrow, one of the servants, and they both come to say goodbye when he leaves Downton, Sybbie giving him a hug and promising not to be good when he was gone. Sybbie is also often seen playing with her maternal grandfather Robert, who she calls 'Donk'—a nickname that will eventually stick and what almost all of the grandchildren will call Robert from then on.

Sybbie was 12 years old at the time of her grandparents' death.

## George

**George Matthew Crawley** is the son and fourth cousin once removed of the late **Matthew Crawley** and Lady Mary Crawley. He is the eldest grandson of Robert and Cora.

His mother was the oldest of the Crawley siblings, and she took an immediate disliking to his father due to his middle-class lifestyle, job as a lawyer, and an unfortunate joke accidentally overheard by Mary about "pushing one of the daughters" at him (Matthew). Since the previous heir to Downton had drowned onboard the RMS Titanic, Matthew, a very distant relation to Robert, was now heir to the estate and title. But as Mary's youngest sibling Alexander was born in 1914, Matthew was back to his upper-middle class ranking, was now second-in-line to the Earldom of Grantham after his newborn cousin.

Despite many obstacles, Mary and Matthew fell in love and eventually married in 1920 after a long on-and-off courtship. George was born in September 1921, and as he was a boy, he became second-in-line to the Earldom when his father died in a tragic car crash on his way home from the hospital, racing to tell everyone the good news. He is now currently fifth-in-line to the title, after his uncle and four younger male cousins.

George, as mentioned, has a great friendship with his cousin Sybbie. They are often seen playing together. After Sybbie and her father Tom briefly leave for America, George is seen more with Marigold, his other cousin. He and Sybbie get on well with Thomas Barrow, George especially. He is often seen getting piggyback rides from both Thomas and his uncle Alex. He also has a younger half-sister, Caroline, who was the daughter of Mary and her second husband, **Henry Talbot**. She is five years younger than him, but nonetheless, he was to have a new sibling and playmate along with his cousins.

George was 11 years old at the time of his grandparents' death.

## Marigold

**Marigold Anne Pelham** is the secret illegitimate daughter of the late **Michael Gregson** and Lady Edith Pelham, the second Crawley sibling, whose surname was Crawley at the time of Marigold's birth. Michael and Edith planned to marry, but Michael had a wife, Lizzy, who suffered from a mental illness and had for many years. He had loved her a lot, but the woman he knew was gone, and he had now fallen in love again, with Edith. Lunacy was not grounds for divorce in England, so Michael went to Germany to become a German citizen, as the laws were different there. In Germany, he could divorce Lizzy on the grounds that she was mentally ill, and marry Edith. However, on his first night in Germany, Michael got into a fight with Hitler's group of thugs, and was killed in the 'Beer Hall Putsch'.

Edith, back in England, discovered that she was going to have Michael's child, which worried her, as Michael was missing and having an illegitimate child would make her a social outcast. She went to Switzerland for a 'long holiday' and had her daughter there (b. 1922), where Marigold was adopted by a childless Swiss couple, Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder.

When a heartbroken Edith discovered that Michael really was dead, she reclaimed her daughter once again, revealing herself as Marigold's mother to a distraught Margie Drewe, and took her daughter to London. Her mother Cora and aunt Rosamund got in touch and persuaded her to take Marigold back to Downton, to be passed off as Edith's 'ward.' Edith later remarried to **Herbert Pelham**, the Marquess of Hexham, who became Marigold's stepfather, and the father of Edith's unborn child. He knew that Edith had had a child out of wedlock but still loved her and married her. Bertie then legally adopted Marigold as his own shortly after their marriage, making her **Miss Marigold Pelham**.

Marigold is the closest to his maternal uncle, Alex, among the current Earl's nieces and nephews. Whenever she visits Downton, she would always run to her uncle and eager to spend time with him. She also plays with her older cousins Sybbie and George. Through her mother's second marriage, she had two younger half-brothers, Peter (b. March 1928) and Theodore (b. June 1931).

Marigold was 10 years old at the time of her grandparents' death.

## Caroline

**Caroline Violet Talbot** is the daughter of **Henry Talbot** and Lady Mary Crawley, who married in 1925 after just over a years' acquaintance. She was born a year later, on the 21 August, 1926. Caroline is the first Crawley grandchild with both parents alive.

Caroline is also the first and only Crawley grandchild to have divorced parents, as she was only two years old when her parents parted ways. She currently lives with her mother, and is visited by her father twice a month—as per the agreement signed by both parties during their divorce.

She is very much close to both her mother and her older half-brother, George. She also likes spending time with her uncle Alex and her maternal grandmother Cora.

Caroline was 6 years old at the time of her grandparents' death.

## Peter

**Peter Alexander Pelham** is the eldest child and son of Bertie Pelham and Lady Edith Crawley. Edith found out she was pregnant shortly before the royal visit at Downton and was initially afraid Bertie would not be around during the baby’s birth as King George had asked him to accompany him during an upcoming tour. However Queen Mary convinced him to release Bertie from this duty. He was born on the 5 March, 1928 in his family's estate, Brancaster Castle.

Peter was born on 5 March, 1928. He holds the title of **Earl of Brancaster**, which is his father's subsidiary title. He was 4 years old at the time of his grandparents' death.

## Theodore

**Theodore Laurence Pelham** is the youngest child and son of Bertie Pelham and Lady Edith Crawley. He was born on the 29 June, 1931, and was named by his mother after one of her favorite classic literature characters, Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence from the book Little Women.

Theo was the last grandchild that Robert and Cora have both held and seen up-close. He was only a year old at the time of his grandparents' death.

## Arthur

**Arthur Robert Crawley** is the eldest child and son of Alexander and Josephine Crawley, the current Earl and Countess of Grantham. He was born on the 25 May, 1935—more than ten months after his parents' marriage. He was named by his father after the legendary King Arthur.

Arthur holds the title of **Viscount Downton**, which is his father's subsidiary title. He was also the sixth first-born heir to Earldom of Grantham since the 4th Earl succeeded his father after its death.

## Benedict

**Benedict Thomas Crawley** is the second child and son of Alexander and Josephine Crawley. He was born on the 4 July, 1936—a birthday that he shares with his late paternal grandfather. He and older brother are only a year apart from one another.

Benedict is second-in-line to the Earldom after his brother, making his official title "*Lord Benedict Crawley*".

## Christopher

**Christopher Herbert Crawley** is the third child and son of Alexander and Josephine Crawley. He was born on the 2 January, 1938. Like his brothers and their eldest cousin Sybbie, he was born in the family's estate, Downton Abbey.

He is third-in-line to the Earldom of Grantham after his two older brothers.

## Diana

**Diana Jacqueline Cora Crawley** is the fourth child and only daughter of Alexander and Josephine Crawley. She was the youngest granddaughter of Robert and Cora.

She was born on the 21 February, 1940 in Downton Abbey, 10 minutes before her twin brother. As she was a girl, she is not in-line to the succession to the Earldom.

## Edmund

**Edmund Ione Crawley** is the youngest child and son of Alexander and Josephine Crawley. He was the youngest grandson and grandchild of Robert and Cora. He was born in Downton Abbey on the 21 February, 1940, 10 minutes after his twin sister.

He is fourth-in-line to the Earldom of Grantham, after his three older brothers.