Horace Bryant

Horace Bryant
Biographical information
Marital status	Married
Residence	near Cheadle
Title(s)	Mr Bryant
Physical information
Gender	Male
Height	5'10" (1,78 m)
Hair colour	Black
Eye colour	Blue
Family information
Family	Daphne Bryant (wife) Charles Bryant (son) † Charles Parks (grandson)
Affiliation
Occupation	Businessman
Loyalty	Daphne Bryant Charles Parks
Behind the scenes
Portrayed by	Kevin McNally

"Your grandaddy is a bit of a bully."

—Mrs Hughes to Baby Charlie

Horace Bryant is the father of Major Bryant.

Biography

Background

Little is known about his background, but he appears to be a very wealthy and powerful man.

• Series 2
• Series 3

Series 2

He wrote to the Countess of Grantham in 1918, telling her that his son had been killed in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, as the Major had stayed at Downton Abbey while it was being used as a convalescent home. When the Bryants arrange to visit Downton, Mrs Hughes goes to former maid Ethel Parks with this knowledge because Ethel had an affair with the officer while he was at Downton. She became pregnant by him and bore his son, Charlie, but the major refused to acknowledge his own son. Mrs Hughes tells Ethel to write them a letter that she can discretely give to them.

Later, when he and his wife, Daphne, stop for luncheon at Downton Abbey on their way to Maryport. While eating, Ethel bursts in with her son to inform him and his wife that their late son is the boy's father. While Mrs Bryant is more receptive, Mr Bryant demands proof and when Ethel is unable to do so, he demands she leave at once. He is visibly angry, even openly accusing her of falsifying her child's paternity (because Major Bryant was an only child) in an attempt to raise her own social standing.

Later Mrs Bryant writes to Mrs Hughes to arrange a meeting between the Bryants and Ethel. The Bryants have accepted that Charlie is their grandson and Mr Bryant offers to raise him as his heir since Major Bryant was an only child. He would educate Charlie at Harrow and Oxford. He would tell Charlie that his parents married during the war and his mother died from Spanish flu. Ethel offers to be Charlie's nurse and never tell him that she is his mother and Mrs. Bryant is open to the idea, but Mr Bryant rejects it calling Ethel "a drudge" and that she will not be able to keep her secret. Mr Bryant offers Ethel time to consider his offer and he and his wife leave. Later Ethel comes to Mrs Hughes to inform her that she is keeping her son.

Season 3

Mr Bryant with his grandson

By 1920, Ethel has fallen on hard times and ultimately decides for the sake of her son's happiness to let Mr and Mrs Bryant take him back with them. Mr. Bryant reveals at Crawley House that he had her followed, knowing how far she had fallen and that he could give her a list of her clients. To why he did this, he told her he wanted to keep an eye on his grandson, to whom he immediately becomes affectionate and loving, presenting him with a present of a stuffed animal. To Ethel he says he certainly does not wish her ill. He offers to give her money so that she doesn't have to continue making money the way she has been and so Charlie will not be exposed to it. However, he follows this by snidely commenting that this is assuming that she wants to stop, implying that she enjoys her work. Ethel admits to him that she does not think he is a nice or kind man, but she believes he loves her boy. Charlie is next to his grandfather when he waves goodbye to his mother. Ethel is working for Isobel Crawley, when Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham places an ad in the paper to find her another job. The only response that Ethel finds appealing is the one from a Mrs Watson from somewhere near Cheadle, because they live near the Bryants, and Ethel hopes to be able to see Charlie. Violet invites Mrs Bryant to tea, to learn if the Bryants will object to this. Mrs. Bryant tells Ethel to take the job. As for Mr Bryant, she tells them to just leave him for her to deal with in regards to this.

Appearances

Appearances and Mentions
Series 2	Episode 1	Episode 2	Episode 3	Episode 4	Episode 5	Episode 6 Mentioned	Episode 7 Appears	Episode 8 Appears	Christmas Special
Series 3	Episode 1	Episode 2	Episode 3	Episode 4 Appears	Episode 5	Episode 6	Episode 7	Episode 8 Mentioned	Christmas Special

Behind the scenes

• Horace Bryant's portrayer, Kevin McNally, is the real life spouse of Phyllis Logan, who portrays Mrs Hughes.