Maud Bagshaw[3] (nee Crawley), Baroness Bagshaw[4] is a lady in waiting to Queen Mary. She and her maid, Lucy Smith, accompany the King and Queen when they visit Downton Abbey in 1927.
Biography
Background
Maud is a cousin of Robert's late father.[5] Specifically, her father was Robert's great uncle and she apparently inherited the "Granby Estate", once belonging to the Crawleys, from him. Her husband and father are deceased.[6] Her husband, David, died in the Boer War.
1927
She is estranged from the rest of the Crawley family, and when informed by the Queen they will be stopping at Downton on their tour of Yorkshire, Maud asks if she could go to Harewood House directly, skipping over Downton. The Queen however suggest to her that she try and mend things with her relations.
Maud has a past acquaintance with Violet Crawley, whom she meets upon her arrival. She sits next to Tom Branson at lunch, expressing concern over the comfort of her maid, telling Tom (who met Lucy upon her arrival) she thinks of Lucy as much more than a servant. She says the same to Violet and Edith after waving to Lucy and referring to her by her first name instead of her surname.
Violet later visits Maud in her room, with Lucy present. She inquires if Maud is comfortable, and inquires about having a chat later. Maud promises Violet to "have it out once and for all" before leaving to attend to the queen.
After dinner, Maud declares that even though Robert is her closest relation on her father's side, she will not name him heir to her estate. Instead, she declares she will leave everything to Lucy, infuriating Violet. Maud insists Lucy has taken care of her for years and that she wishes to show her gratitude.
When Maud returns to her room, she finds Isobel waiting for her, wanting a word. Isobel has worked out that Lucy is in fact Maud's daughter, and asks if Lucy knows this. Maud confirms that she told Lucy when she turned eighteen, having previously hired her as a servant to protect her identity. Maud says she loved Lucy's father, Jack Smith, but regrets not marrying him out of "cowardice" and feels that by naming Lucy her heir she has taken the first step. Isobel insists Violet will oppose her wishes no longer if Maud tells her the truth.
Later, at Harewood, Isobel arranges a meeting where Maud tells Violet the truth. She mentions that when she goes home, she will hire a new maid so Lucy can be her "companion" (which Violet says is more "suitable"), and that Lucy will be corresponding with Tom. She tells Violet she is amazing but that she hasn't won. Violet responds that she doesn't believe in defeat, but invites her and Lucy back to Downton after the Yorkshire tour is over to sort things out, calling Lucy by her first name for the first time. Maud takes this as a sign that she is a member of the family once more. Violet remarks to Isobel afterward that she now aims to get Maud's estate for Tom, which is why they need Lucy back.
Tom later gives Maud a hankerchief Lucy brought her as an excuse to see the dancing, before heading off to find Lucy himself.
Quotes
- "What pifle you talk!"
- —to Violet Crawley[src]
- "I live my own life now, Violet. I'm not what I was. My father is gone. My husband is gone. I see no reason not to do what I want."
- —to Violet Crawley[src]
References
- ↑ The latest Lucy can be born is 1908. Maud tells Isobel she was "thirty nine" when Lucy was born. 1908 - 39 = 1869, so this is the latest Maud can be born.
- ↑ BBC America - The ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie Will Be ‘Elevated’, Says Joanne Froggatt By Nick Levine, February 2019
- ↑ Downton Abbey Movie Clip: "Maud Bagshaw is coming to Downton?"
- ↑ She is announced to the Queen as "The Lady Bagshaw", which is how a Baroness is announced verbally.
- ↑ Vanity Fair - Downton Abbey Movie: 6 Brand-New Details By Julie Miller July 22, 2019
“She is a cousin of the Dowager Countess’s late husband.” - ↑ Downton Abbey Movie clip: "My father is gone, my husband is gone."
External links
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVJY7PYk14Q
- https://www.bustle.com/p/in-this-downton-abbey-film-teaser-clip-violet-crawley-appears-to-have-met-her-match-in-lady-maud-bagshaw-18714086
- https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7jrs92
News
- The Sun - Downton Abbey movie: Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess faces off against Imelda Staunton in savage clip by Daniel Sperling 29 Aug 2019, 13:00Updated: 29 Aug 2019, 16:38
Appearances
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| The film | The film Appears |
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