- "Do I look like a frolicker?!"
- —Mrs Patmore to Mr Carson when she is accused of frolicking with Ethel.[src]
Beryl Patmore is the cook at Downton Abbey and she believes that she runs the house, although Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes beg to differ. She is forever ordering about Daisy Mason, her kitchen maid.
Background
Beryl mentions having two sisters. One who died prior 1912 and another sister, Kate Philpotts, being her nephew Archie's mother.
Season One
Mrs. Patmore runs her kitchen under tight control. Daisy is always trying to prove herself and wants to be allowed to have greater responsibility, but Mrs. Patmore doesn't think that she is ready. Beryl Patmore tries to hide her deteriorating eye sight by having Daisy read her a new recipe, but Robert Crawley decides to send her to a London eye specialist when she accidentally puts salt on the pudding instead of sugar. Isobel Crawley's cook Mrs. May Bird is brought in as a temporary replacement, Daisy in loyalty to Mrs. Patmore tries to sabotage the dinner by putting soap in the soup. Fortunately this was soup for the servants and not for those upstairs. When Mrs. Patmore returns, she and Mrs. Bird find themselves in agreement, as cooks, in their common desire to be in charge of their kitchen without having to answer to a housekeeper.
Season Two
During the war Beryl finds out that her nephew, Archibald "Archie" Philpots, has gone missing at the front, wanting to know more she appeals to Robert Crawley and discovers that he was shot for cowardice. Ashamed, she does not tell anyone, except in an attempt to comfort Henry Lang who suffers from shell shock. Without knowing that this is a secret he announces it to the other servants. Ashamed, Beryl runs off crying.
Thomas tries to become a black market goods supplier, and Mrs. Patmore agrees to buy from him if a cake made by Daisy using his samples show good quality. Unfortunately for Thomas, the goods are either fake or adulterated and Mrs. Patmore will not be buying from him.
Season Three
Alfredo's been hired as footman and Daisy angrily confronts Mrs.Patmore with the fact that she was promised a new kitchen maid. Mrs. Patmore explains to Daisy that Lord Grantham has refused any new staff, and she doesn't know how Mr. Carson was able to manage a footman. She tells Daisy that she must be content with her title promotion and raise. Daisy getting advise from Thomas goes on strike, but Mrs. Patmore ignores her and carries on until Daisy gives up.[1]
Mrs. Hughes finds a lump in her breast. Mrs. Patmore confirms that it is a lump and, the next day, accompanies her to her to the Downton Cottage hospital to see Dr. Richard Clarkson. Mrs. Patmore is concerned that the test to draw fluid from it will hurt. She tries to comfort Mrs. Hughes in her in her fears that it may be cancer. There is an important dinner party and Mr. Carson is demanding of Mrs. Hughes. Mrs. Patmore almost blurts out the she is not well. Later, Mrs. Hughes forbids her to tell Mr. Carson about her possible illness. The range is smoking badly and the chimney is not drawing. Mrs. Patmore thinks at first that the wind may be blowing in the wrong direction and that it needs to be raked, but when it finally goes out completely it is obvious that the flu is blocked and Mrs. Patmore sends word up that nothing is cooked for dinner. Subsequently the larder must be stripped for an impromptu indoor picnic, but Mrs. Patmore tells Mrs. Hughes that she has held back a veal and egg pie for the servants dinner. [2]
Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes discuss their anxiousness at the time the medical test is taking, Mr. Carson overhears them. Later, Mr. Carson gets Mrs. Patmore alone and admits that he has spoken to Dr. Clarkson. He gets her to tell him that Mrs. Hughes may have cancer, by tricking her into thinking that Dr. Clarkson had already told him everything. Alfred tries to ask Daisy to eat in the main servant dining room, but Carson says that Daisy and the other kitchen maids eat in the kitchen with Mrs. Patmore. Mr. Carson's concern has made it obvious that he knows, and Mrs. Hughes confronts Mrs. Patmore who lies and says that he must have picked it up somewhere. Mrs. Patmore again accompanies her back to the doctor for the test results, and, as per Mrs. Hughes instructions, subsequently lets Mr. Carson know that it is not cancer. [3]
When Daisy tells her Mr. Mason wants her to come live at his farm because he wants to name her his heir, she complements her on the generous offer and is happy for Daisy, but also sad that she might leave. After repeated delays a new kitchen maid is approved and Mrs Patmore begins making inquires, later she introduces new kitchen maid Ivy Stuart to Daisy.
Alfred and new footman Jimmy continually loiter in the kitchen talking to Ivy and Daisy. Mrs. Patmore is always shooing them out of the kitchen when things need to be done. When Alfred sets eyes on Ivy, sparking Daisy's jealousy, Mrs. Patmore advises her not to treat Ivy so harshly as she has done. She tells Daisy that being mean to Ivy will not make Alfred like her more. Furthermore, when it becomes clear Ivy has a fancy to Jimmy he doesn't return, Mrs. Patmore says to all four of them that their problem is they are all in love with the wrong people.
When Ethel asks her for help in preparing a meal for the ladies of Downton, Mrs. Patmore defies Mr. Carson's order that no one from the house have deals with her due to her past and gives her instructions. Cora complements Mrs. Patmore as having "a good heart and does not judge" when Ethel mentions this after Robert storms in revealing Ethel's secret.
2012 Christmas Special
Jos Tufton, a new Downton supplier begins courting Mrs. Patmore and asks to "squire" her around the Thirsk fair. He asks her to marry him, but Mrs. Hughes has observed his womanizing ways and informs Mrs. Patmore. She is actually relieved, because she had not wanted to marry him. They believe that it was her cooking skills that he wished to marry her for.
Personality
Relationships
Daisy
The relationship between Daisy and Mrs. Patmore is a good relationship; despite Mrs. Patmore often snapping at Daisy and becoming frustrated with her, she does care for Daisy - and vice versa - and together the two women can cook anything and are a formidible pair. An example of the care Mrs. Patmore shows for Daisy is the support she offered in allowing Daisy to become her assistant cook and her support in Daisy's relationship - and later marriage - with William and the father/daughter relationship with his father, Mr Mason after William's death.
Quotes
'No! Listen to me! And take those kidneys up to the servery before I knock you down and serve your brains as fritters,'- to Daisy.
"Oh!…Judus was only trying to help, I suppose, when he brought the Roman Soldiers to the Garden."-to Daisy
"You know the trouble with you lot? You are in love with the wrong people." -to Daisy, Alfred, Ivy and Jimmy
Appearances
| Appearances and Mentions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | Episode 1 Appears |
Episode 2 Appears |
Episode 3 Appears |
Episode 4 Appears |
Episode 5 Appears |
Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 Appears |
— | — |
| Series 2 | Episode 1 Appears |
Episode 2 Appears |
Episode 3 Appears |
Episode 4 Appears |
Episode 5 Appears |
Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 Appears |
Episode 8 Appears |
Christmas Special Appears |
| Series 3 | Episode 1 Appears |
Episode 2 Appears |
Episode 3 Appears |
Episode 4 Appears |
Episode 5 Appears |
Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 Appears |
Episode 8 Appears |
Christmas Special Appears |
| Series 4 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| Series 5 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
| Series 6 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Christmas Special |
Behind the scenes
Notes
- a It is unsure if there ever was a Mr. Patmore as "Mrs." is used as a courtesy for housekeepers and cooks regardless of whether they were or currently are married. However, Mistresses and marriage: or, a short history of the Mrs (PDF) (or [1]) by Amy Louise Erickson states that "In the middle of the eighteenth century, 'Mrs' did not describe a married woman: it described a woman who governed subjects (i.e., employees or servants or apprentices) or a woman who was skilled or who taught." leaving Mrs Patmore's marital status unknown[4].
References
- ↑ Episode 3.01
- ↑ Episode 3.02
- ↑ Episode 3.03
- ↑ http://twitter.com/lesley_nicol/status/150248682846035969