Downton Abbey cast have real life similarities in their historic family trees when it comes to jobs

New research shows some of the cast of Downton Abbey have real life similarities in their families compared to their on screen roles

With a new third and final film about the ITV period drama released into cinemas this week on September 12, the results from family history site Ancestry uncover which actors’ real-life family stories mirror their characters and which tell a very different story.

Michael Fox who plays butler Andy Parker has a three-times-great-grandfather who was a butler and great-great-grandfather a chauffeur. It seems he was almost destined to play a loyal footman. This was uncovered using marriage and census records.

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Allen Leech is well known as Chauffeur turned Estate Manager Tom Branson. Like Branson, Allen comes from a family of principled public servants. Using an obituary from the Drogheda Independent in 1962 it can be revealed his great-grandfather Thomas Leech was an Irish peace commissioner known for his honesty and integrity, and may well have inspired one of Branson’s iconic speeches.

Lesley Nichol’s character Mrs Patmore had a loveable role in the Downton kitchen, in real life her ancestors were shepherds, butchers and wine merchants showing a real-life passion for food and drink that mirrors Mrs Patmore.

The 1911 Census of England and Wales record shows Henry Thomas Isaac, butcher.

Harry Hadden-Paton was Bertie Pelham in the ITV series and Bertie is an expert at estate management.

This is similar to Harry’s three-times-great-grandfather, a banker called Henry G Marquand involved in major railroad interests who might have been able to save the Crawleys from financial ruin. This was discovered via a report in a copy of a Chicago Tribune newspaper from 1902.

Laura House, DNA and Family History Expert at Ancestry, said: "Downton Abbey has captivated audiences with its stories of class, conflict, and connection.

“These real-life discoveries show just how closely some of the cast’s personal histories align with the roles they play. From wartime heroes to world-travelling diplomats and hardworking cooks, it’s a reminder that fascinating stories lie in all of our family trees waiting to be discovered."

The new third film follows the much-loved Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s.

Lady Mary finds herself at the centre of a public scandal going through divorce, the family faces financial trouble, and the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace.

The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future and off into the sunset.

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