- "He'll take over eventually, I assume, and when he does, I want to make sure he's the master of a modern going concern. He's also heir to his grandfather's title for reasons too complicated to bore you with. So it's very neat and tidy."
- —Mary Crawley about her son's future[src]
Master George Matthew Crawley, nicknamed "Georgie" by his mother (b. between 9th and 30th September 1921) is the only son of Matthew Crawley and Mary Talbot. Due to his father's parentage (see below), George is also his mother's fourth cousin once removed and his maternal grandfather's third cousin twice removed. As such he became the closest patrilinear male relative to the Earl of Grantham and consequently the heir presumptive to his title and estate following Matthew's untimely death on the day of his son's birth. He currently lives at Downton Abbey with his maternal grandparents, his mother, stepfather, uncle, and eldest cousin. Upon his mother's second marriage, Henry Talbot became his stepfather.
Biography
Background
George is heir presumptive to Robert's title and estate and the Crawley family fortune. His claim comes through his father's line as his paternal great-great-great grandfather was a younger son of the 3rd Earl of Grantham.
1921
- "Say "Hello" to your son and heir."
- —Mary presenting their newborn to Matthew[src]
With his parents.
1922
In February 1922, George was half a year old, his mother was still grieving over the death of her husband (whom she saw in George, as did Isobel), and did not bond closely with him, instead leaving him in the care of nannies. When one, Nanny West, suggests to Mary a walk with her son Mary declines and kisses him. She even refers to him as a "poor little orphan". Anna, Mary's maid, replies that George isn't an orphan because he's got his mother and an orphan has no mother. Mary remarks that her child isn't poor either.
Nanny West favored George over his cousin, Sybbie, because of their respective parents, George being the future Earl of Grantham while Sybbie was the daughter of a former chauffeur. After overhearing Nanny West nastily insult Sybbie, Cora fires her on the spot and forbids her to stay with her grandchildren. She looks after George and Sybbie herself while waiting for a maid to come andfor the night. George and Sybbie eventually get a new nanny.
Later when Tom says to Mary that she has to find an interest she answers that she has one, her son, or will be interested in him soon. During a conversation with her grandmother, in which Mary is told by Violet that she must remember George and that he needs his mother very much, Mary explains that she knows that but she doesn't think she may become a very good mother because of Matthew's death. Eventually though, she gradually learns to love her son very much and be a good mother, spending time with him, his cousin, and uncle in the nursery. She even feeds him herself.
Isobel also visits him in the nursery, and learns to be close to him even if she was first pained to see Matthew in George. She decides that George could call her Grandmama so Cora could be Granny. Later, George "meets" Charles Blake when he and Sybbie are brought into the library to spend time with their family. Mary asks her son to "wait that mama puts her cup" but Charles offers to take baby George in his arms.
2013 Christmas Special
During Rose's ball, in Summer 1923, Mary explains to Lord Gillingham that her destiny is to save Downton for George "by spending every penny and every waking minute holding it together".
1924
George and his cousin Sybbie get rescued by his uncle and Sybbie's father, Tom Branson from a fire that breaks out from Edith's bedroom. Mary is shown to love her son by holding his hand and calling him darling. She later spends more time with him after she finishes riding in the horse race. Marigold later joins him and Sybbie in the Downton nursery after Cora convinces Edith to bring her home. The three of them watch with their nannies as the family leaves for London for Rose's marriage.
2014 Christmas Special
George watches his family depart to Brancaster Castle for the grouse season. He, Sybbie, and Marigold also help decorate the Christmas tree and attend a subsequent party.
1925
George and Marigold watch Mrs Patmore make a cake. George and Marigold both ask to lick the batter. Thomas gives George a piggyback ride when asked to do so. After Thomas attempts suicide, George and Mary come in to visit him. He gives his favorite servant an orange to help him feel better. The story is that Thomas had the flu (to prevent the real reason, the attempted suicide, from becoming a scandal on the house). He, along with Sybbie and Marigold say a farewell to him when Thomas goes to his new job. Although touched when George begs him not to go, Thomas gently tells the little boy that he has to go. It was presumed that George was pleased when Thomas was rehired back at Downton, as the new butler, replacing Carson.| Appearances and Mentions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 3 | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 Mentioned |
Christmas Special Appears |
| Series 4 | Episode 1 Appears |
Episode 2 | Episode 3 Mentioned |
Episode 4 | Episode 5 Appears |
Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 | Episode 8 Appears |
Christmas Special Mentioned |
| Series 5 | Episode 1 Appears |
Episode 2 Appears |
Episode 3 Appears |
Episode 4 Appears |
Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 Appears |
Episode 8 Appears |
Christmas Special Appears |
| Series 6 | Episode 1 Appears |
Episode 2 Appears |
Episode 3 Appears |
Episode 4 Mentioned |
Episode 5 Appears |
Episode 6 Appears |
Episode 7 Appears |
Episode 8 Appears |
Christmas Special Appears |
Notes
- George is the second grandchild of 3 in the Crawley family, where one of the parents have died shortly before or after their birth; the first being young Sybbie whose mother (whom her husband named after) had tragically died from eclampsia; the third being Marigold who is the daughter of Lady Edith by her lover Michael Gregson