Sybil Branson

## LadySybil Branson

### Residence

Downton Abbey, North Yorkshire, England (formerly, before marriage and before death)
 Branson Household, Dublin, Ireland (formerly)

### Title(s)

The Honorable Sybil Crawley (formerly)
 Lady Sybil Crawley (formerly)

 Nurse Crawley
 Sybil
 Love (by her husband)
 Darling (by her family and husband)
 Darling Sister (by Alex)
 My Baby (by Cora Crawley)

## Family Information

### Parents

Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham †
 Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham †

### Sibling(s)

Lady Mary Crawley
 Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham
 Alexander Crawley, 8th Earl of Grantham

### Nieces and Nephews

Mr. George Crawley
 Miss Marigold Pelham

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

### Relatives

Mr. Branson (father-in-law)
 Mrs. Branson (mother-in-law)

 Mr. Kieran Branson (brother-in-law)
 Patrick Crawley, 6th Earl of Grantham † (paternal grandfather)
 Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham † (paternal grandmother)
 Lady Rosamund Painswick (paternal aunt)
 Mr. Marmaduke Painswick † (paternal uncle by marriage, via Rosamund)
 Miss Delilah Mellark (paternal aunt by partnership, via Rosamund)
 Mr. Isidore Levinson † (maternal grandfather)
 Mrs. Martha Levinson † (maternal grandmother)
 Mr. Harold Levinson (maternal uncle)
 Mr. Matthew Crawley † (brother-in-law, via Mary)
 Mr. Henry Talbot (former brother-in-law, via Mary)
 Herbert Pelham, Marquess of Hexham (brother-in-law, via Edith)
 Josephine Crawley, Countess of Grantham (sister-in-law, via Alex)
 Susan MacClare, Marchioness of Flintshire (paternal first cousin once removed)
 Hugh MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire (paternal first cousin-in-law once removed)
 Rose Aldridge, Lady Sinderby (paternal second cousin)
 Atticus Aldridge, Lord Sinderby (paternal second cousin-in-law)
 Hon. Victoria Rachel Cora Aldridge (paternal second cousin once removed)
 Hon. Hugh Daniel Atticus Aldridge (paternal second cousin once removed)
 Hon. Robert Alexander David Aldridge (paternal second cousin once removed)
 Maud, Lady Bagshaw (paternal second cousin once removed)
 Mrs. Lucy Branson (née Smith) (paternal second cousin twice removed)

## Affiliations

### Occupation

Voluntary Aid Detachment Nurse (1915-1918)

### Loyalty

Tom Branson
Downton Abbey
Crawley Family
Gwen Dawson

## Coat of Arms

Arms of Lady Sybil Crawley (1895-1919)

Arms of Lady Sybil Branson (1919-1920)

**Lady Sybil Branson** (née **Crawley**; b. 14 May, 1895-d. 10 April, 1920), known mostly as **Lady Sybil**, was the third child and youngest daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley. She was the youngest sister of Lady Mary Crawley, Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham, and Alexander Crawley, 8th Earl of Grantham. She was also a member of the Crawley Family from birth, and of the **Branson Family** through her marriage.

## Biography

* Early Life
* Marriage and Children
* Death

Sybil was born on the morning of the 14 May, 1895. She was the third child and youngest daughter of Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham and Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham. She was born 4 years after her eldest sister Mary, and 3 years after her second sister Edith Crawley. She was 18 years older than her brother, Alexander.

She was also the third grandchild and youngest granddaughter of Patrick & Violet, Earl and Dowager Countess of Grantham; and Isidore & Martha Levinson. She was the niece of Lady Rosamund Painswick and Mr. Harold Levinson.

In the early months of 1919, Sybil married Tom Branson, the Crawley Family's former chauffeur. Only Sybil's siblings attended the wedding, as their mother was recovering from her illness, and their father and grandmother chose not to attend the wedding. Soon after their marriage, Sybil wrote to her family that she was pregnant, much to Cora's delight and shock. In the letter, she asked her parents to keep the news a secret from her siblings. Robert then commented that he *"wondered why she didn't ask to come for Christmas"*.

By Christmas 1919, they were expecting their first child and in 1920 returned to Downton Abbey to visit the Crawley family and attend Mary's wedding. Before she was due to give birth, Mary went to see her, where they discussed the issue that her and Tom's child will be christened as a Catholic, and that the christening will have to take place at Downton. Mary told Sybil that she doesn't need to let the baby be baptized as Catholic as it is her child, too, though Sybil stated that she doesn't mind because she loves Tom so very much. Before leaving so she could rest, Mary replied that she will help her to fight over the christening when the time comes.

This was the final significant conversation anyone had with Sybil.

After her sudden death, Tom named his daughter after his late wife, christening her Sybil, after the woman he so dearly loved and missed.

Sybil entered labour and began to show early symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which was correctly diagnosed by Dr. Clarkson but ignored by Lord Grantham and Sir Philip Tapsell, who also believed that taking her to a public hospital would be far too much of a risk to Sybil and the baby.

Lady Sybil gave birth to a baby girl. Everybody was relieved and delighted at this outcome except Dr Clarkson who saw what was coming. After delivering the child, Sybil began to experience a series of severe fits and spasms due to the eclampsia, and was unable to breathe. Her mother and father, her three siblings, brother-in-law Matthew, Dr. Clarkson and Sir Phillip Tapsell were present at her bedside while her husband held her as she suffocated and died.

Sybil's death was widely felt across the family. It left Tom, the Crawley family, and their staff shocked and heartbroken.
## Appearance and Personality

Sybil was very beautiful, with her beauty rivaling that of her eldest sister Mary. She shared a few physical traits with Mary; one being their lovely dark, curly hair, and shaped eyebrows. Sybil had pale pink full lips, and silver blue eyes.

She was described by Mrs. Hughes as *"the sweetest spirit under this roof".* Sweet tempered, caring, and politically ambitious, Sybil was liked by everyone, despite her differences in beliefs and interests. She did not believe in social expectations and treated the staff as her equals. Sybil was very compassionate, helping the servant Gwen with her dream to become a secretary. Sybil always treated others with kindness and respect, even when she was not obliged to do so.

Sybil was also a fierce defender of women rights, believing they should have the same opportunities as men, and that times were changing for everyone. She wanted to find a purpose in life and feel useful, therefore she decided to train herself to cook and being capable of treating wounded, even asking to Mrs. Patmore to teach her some cooking lessons.

She was very stubborn and determined with anything she wanted, not caring of what could her family think of marrying with Tom—who at that point was the family's chauffer, and was prepared to leave her world and have a very different live that she used to have.

## Name Etymology

* **Sybil** is female name of Greek origin meaning *"prophetess"*.

* **Cora** is a female name of Greek origin, meaning *"maiden"*.
	+ She was named her mother, Cora, Countess of Grantham.