Timeline

A timeline of events in Downton Abbey from the 1530s to 1928.

If listing any specific dates, please use a reference and make note of the episode or other canon source that the information comes from, including a short quote if possible.

Early events (1772-1912)

This section is for listing events that take place prior to the beginning of the series.

• c. 1530s – The Dissolution of the Monasteries, under Henry VIII, sees a Catholic abbey near the village of Downton being sold. What remained of the abbey would later be incorporated into Downton Abbey, under the 3rd Earl of Grantham in the 1840s.
• 1772 – George III creates the title of Earl of Grantham.
• 1789, July 14 – The 2nd Earl of Grantham travels on his "grand tour". He is in France at the time of the fall of the Bastille, and his mother sends a worried letter, by "special messenger", to get him home immediately.
• c. 1825 – The Downton Cottage Hospital is established.
• 1840s – Roberta is born.
• 1842 – Downton Abbey assumes its current appearance, commissioned by the 3rd Earl of Grantham.
• 1842 – Violet Crawley is born to a Baronet.
• 1849 – Grantham House is renovated to its current appearance.
• Between 1852 and 1862 – Isobel Crawley is born.
• 1856 – Charles Carson is born.
• 1857, May 30 – The Siege of Lucknow begins. Roberta "loads the guns".
• 1859 – First Odessa pogrom causing the great-grandfather of Atticus Aldridge to emigrate to England. Rose and Atticus mention this in Episode 5.05.
• 1860, circa September – Violet and Patrick marry.
• Between 1860 and 1874 – Patrick and Violet become the Earl and Countess of Grantham.
• Between 1860s and 1874 – Rosamund Crawley is born.
• 1862 – Elsie Hughes is born.
• 1866 – Robert Crawley, Viscount Downton is born.
• 1868, July 18 – Cora Levinson, later Crawley, is born.
• Between 1869 and 1870s – Harold Levinson is born.
• Late 1860s – Violet is, despite being married, pursued by Lord Hepworth's father.
• 1870 – Charles Carson, aged 14, starts working at Thrushcross Grange, near Ripon, as a Junior Hall Boy, under butler Alfred Beet.
• 1875 - 1879: Charles Carson progresses from "Hall Boy" to "Nursery Footman" to "Fourth Footman".
• 1871 – Second Odessa pogrom causing the remaining members of the Aldridge family to emigrate to England. Rose and Atticus Aldridge mention this in Episode 5.05.
• 1874, January 23 – Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha marries Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Violet attends the wedding and meets Prince Igor Kuragin. Prince Kuragin asks her to run away with him and Violet does, only to be stopped by Irina Kuragin who wrenches Violet from the carriage and sends her back to Lord Grantham - who failed to notice anything. When Lord Grantham presents her with a frame of their two children, Violet immediately regrets her choice to run away and never makes a choice like it again. This, in turn, inspires Violet to help rescue Princess Irina when the situation arises.
• 1875 – Charles Carson, aged 19, leaves Thrushcross Grange to work at Downton Abbey, taking the position of Second Footman.
• 1878, 20 March - Wedding of Hannah de Rothschild and Lord Roseberry, at the Board Room of Guardians in Mount Street. Lady Violet attends.
• Late 1870s or Late 1880s – Rosamund and Marmaduke Painswick marry and purchase a house, 35 Belgrave Square, after their marriage.
• 1883 – Anne de Vere Cole is born. The sixth Earl of Grantham becomes her godfather.
• 1885, January to September – Matthew Crawley is born, later this year Branson is born.
• 1888 – Cora is brought to England by her mother, Martha Levinson, for the London season and to find her a husband. She and Robert are engaged by the end of the Season.
• 16 February 1890 – Cora and Robert marry and Cora signs her fortune over to the estate. The money is "tied up tight" with the Crawley Family having, in Isidore's eyes, "quite enough" and the rest is left for Martha to live on and Harold to inherit. The wedding takes place in England.
• Between 1890 and 1912 – both Cora's father, Isidore, and Robert's father die.
• Between 1890 and 1904 – Robert and Cora Crawley become the Earl and Countess of Grantham.
• 1891 – Mary Crawley is born.
• 1891 – Lord Sinderby's family flee Russia and change their family surname to "Aldridge".
• 1892 – Edith Crawley is born.
• Early June 1895 – Sybil Crawley is born.
  • At some point in the same year, Lavinia Swire was born to Reginald and Anne Swire.
  • At some point in the same year, Mrs Hughes arrives at Downton as Head Housemaid and was promoted soon after.
• 1897, May 14 – According to a handbill presented by Charles Grigg to Robert in episode 1.02, he and Charles Carson appear at the Victoria Theatre as the Cheerful Charlies.^a
• Before 1899 – John Bates and Joseph Molesley serve together as footmen in a house near Stafford.
• 1899-1902 – Robert and John Bates serve together in the Second Anglo-Boer War for at least 18 months up to its conclusion in 1902. Dr. Richard Clarkson similarly serves in the war at about the same time.
  • At some point during the same years, Isobel trains to be a nurse.
• Approx. 1900 – James MacClare, Earl of Newtonmore, is born.
• Approx. 1901 – Annabelle MacClare is born.
• 1902 – Rose MacClare is born.
• 1906 – John Bates leaves the army.
• Between 1902 and 1913 – Cora meets Rose MacClare for the first time.
• Before 1912 – Reginald trains to be a doctor under Sir John Turnbull, father of his wife, Isobel, and her brother, Sir Edward Turnbull, who also trains to be a doctor.
• 1908, April 5 – Herbert Henry (H.H.) Asquith succeeds Henry Campbell-Bannerman as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• Between 1909 and 1912 – Reginald Crawley studies dropsy and publishes works on it before dying.
• 1910, May 6 – George V succeeds Edward VII as King of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions and Emperor of India. Rose is presented to the King in the 2013 Christmas Special.
• Before 1913 – Susan Flintshire visits Downton Abbey.
• 1912, March – The Countess of Rothes joins the Crawleys for dinner at Downton. The Countess expresses her excitement of boarding the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage to New York the following month.
• 1912, April 15 – Titanic sinks, taking not only Patrick and James Crawley, but also Charles Hays, which will have consequences in series 3.

Series 1 (1912–1914)

Episode 1.01

It is April 1912, and news arrives of the sinking of the Titanic and the death of Downton's heir James and his son Patrick.

The most likely date for the opening of the first episode is April 16, 1912. A full analysis can be found here. The memorial service for James and Patrick takes place three months after the sinking of the Titanic, in July 1912. Dialogue regarding mourning clothes indicates that the Duke of Crowborough's visit at the end of the episode takes place in August 1912.

• 1912, Summer - The Marconi Scandal breaks, implicating highly placed members of the Liberal government under H, H. Asquith, including David Lloyd George for insider trading in Marconi shares. Lavinia Swire admits to starting the scandal in episode 2.03 by stealing papers from her uncle, Liberal minister Jonathan Swire and providing them to Richard Carlisle.
• 1912, August - Matthew and Robert meet.

Episode 1.02

Matthew and his mother Isobel arrive at Downton, but trouble lies ahead for them both. As Matthew and Isobel settle into a house on the estate, doctor's widow Isobel immediately finds her views at odds with Violet's over the village hospital.

Set in September 1912 and ending in, at least, October.

• 1912, November 28 - Albania declares independence from the Ottoman Empire, precipitating the conference that brings Kemal Pamuk to England.

Episode 1.03

Mary is instantly attracted to handsome Turkish attaché Kemal Pamuk. Their romance is cut brutally short, sending ripples of unease through the house.

• 1912, December 16 - The session of the London Conference of 1912–1913 that Kemal Pamuk was intended to attend begins.
• 1913, January 23 - The aforementioned session of the London Conference of 1912-1913 ends when the Ottoman Empire withdraws due to the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état.
• 1913, March 4 - Woodrow Wilson succeeds William Howard Taft as President of the United States.

Episode 1.04

Violet and Isobel are in conflict over a medical ailment affecting Molesley. Elsewhere, Carson fears there is a thief at Downton.

The sign for the carnival states Thursday May 29th, which would have been in 1913.

• 1913, June 4 - Emily Davison steps in front of King George V's horse Anmer, sustaining injuries that would result in her death four days later. This event is mentioned at the beginning of episode six.
• 1913, July 29 - Albania's independence was recognised by the London Conference of 1912-1913, without the participation of the Ottoman Empire, whose delegation had withdrawn in January. Kemal Pamuk's visit in episode three is for purposes of attending the talks regarding Albania's independence.

Episode 1.05

Mary is introduced to a potential suitor, but she thinks he is too old and stuffy. Mrs. Patmore fears she may be going blind.

During the walk to the flower show, Bates accepts a ride on a wagon full of hay - if it was haymaking season it is likely the flower show took place in late summer. The letter Lady Sybil receives inviting Gwen to an interview states that they will see her “at these premises on Friday, August 1st at 10 o’clock”, which according to Gwen is "tomorrow". On the same day, Molesley mentions to Mrs Crawley that the flower show is "next Saturday" (9th August). As the episode ends on the day of the flower show, we can confirm the events of Episode 1.05 occur between 31st July - 9th August 1913.

Episode 1.06

Sybil's interest in politics gets her in trouble. Matthew and Mary's relationship takes an unexpected turn. Bates makes a shocking revelation.

Opens with the title card "May 1914." Sybil attends and is injured at the announcement of the Ripon by-election results.^b

• 1914, June - Sybil is presented to "Their Majesties" with great success.
• 1914, June 28 - Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot dead in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princip.

Episode 1.07

The family is astonished when Lady Cora Crawley finds that she is pregnant. The announcement leaves Mary wondering how to answer Matthew's proposal, because his situation would change completely if the baby is a boy.

Opens with the title card "July 1914." Ends on August 4th or 5th, as Britain declared war on Germany at 11:00 PM August 4, 1914.

Series 1-2 Gap (1914-1916)

• 1914 - 1916 Crawley dog Pharaoh dies and the Crawleys get a new dog named Isis.
• 1914 - 1916 Matthew meets Lavinia Swire.
• 1914 - 1916 Mary meets Sir Richard Carlisle.
• 1915, April 25 - 1916, January 9 Gallipoli Campaign, Robert remarks that if Churchill "went to the front after the Gallipoli business...why shouldn't [he]?"
• 1916, March 2 The Military Service Act goes into effect. It was the first time that legislation had been passed in British military history introducing conscription. The Act specified that men from 18 to 41 years old were liable to be called up for service in the army. Due to political considerations the Act did not extend to Ireland. In Series 2, William Mason, Joseph Molesley and Tom Branson would all be called up, however the latter and the former would receive medical exemptions.
• 1916, April 24 Ireland declares independence.
• 1916, May 31 - June 1 Battle of Jutland, Charles Blake and Anthony Foyle serve together on HMS Iron Duke.

Series 2 (1916–1919)

Episode 2.01

The Great War unsettles life at Downton and surprising news about Matthew rocks the family. New maid Ethel irritates O'Brien - and Bates returns with devastating news for Anna.

Opens with the title card "The Somme, 1916". The script book indicates that it is supposed to be November 1916.

• 1916, July 1 - November 18 - The Battle of the Somme
• 1916, December 7 David Lloyd George succeeds H.H. Asquith as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• 1917, February 5 Mrs Patmore's nephew, Archibald Philpotts is killed for cowardice under fire.

Episode 2.02

Carson is finding it tough maintaining standards in the house, and the suicide of a young officer prompts Isobel to suggest converting Downton Abbey into a convalescent hospital.

Opens with the title card "April 1917".

• 1917, April 6 - American President Wilson asks Congress for "a war to end all wars" that would "make the world safe for democracy". Congress responds by declaring war on the German Empire.
• 1917, June 19 - The Representation of the People Act was passed by a majority of 385 to 55 in the House of Commons and went on to be unopposed in the House of Lords. It was the first to include practically all men in the political system and began the inclusion of women.

Episode 2.03

After Downton is turned into a convalescent home for wounded officers, Matthew brings a general to visit, but Branson has a surprise in store. And is Lavinia hiding something?

Set between July 2nd, 1917 and September 1917.

• 1917, July 2 - Alexander Kerensky becomes the Prime Minister of the Russian Republic.
• 1917, July 17 - King George V, by royal proclamation changes the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (a branch of the House of Wettin) to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the British Empire.
• 1917, August - Tsar Nicholas II and his family are evacuated to Alexander Palace.
• 1917, November 7 and 8 - Alexander Kerensky is deposed in the October Revolution. Vladimir Lenin seizes power.

Episode 2.04

Tensions flare between Isobel and Cora. Ethel's flirtation with Major Bryant lands her in hot water. There is worrying news about Matthew. Branson declares his feelings for Sybil.

Opens with the title card "1918"; it is likely set early in the year and probably no later than March.

• 1918, February 6 - Representation of the People Act goes into effect granting some women the vote. Edith mentions this in episode 3.04 saying that she still does not have the vote because she is not yet 30 years old nor a landowner.
• 1918, July 17 - Tsar Nicholas II and the rest of the Romanov royal family are executed by Bolsheviks. In Episode 2.05, Tom Branson tells Sibyl that "They shot the Tsar and all of his family".^c

Episode 2.05

Robert receives some shocking news from the front. Daisy's relationship with William moves faster than she would like. Vera threatens to expose old secrets.

Opens with the title card "Amiens, 1918".^d

• 1918, August 8-12 - The Battle of Amiens

Episode 2.06

Carlisle threatens to ruin Mary if she jilts him. A major comes to stay - but is he really who he claims to be? Bates learns that Vera has succeeded in scuppering the divorce.

• 1918, October 24 - November 3 - Battle of Vittorio Veneto. Major Charles Bryant, the father of Ethel's son was killed in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
• 1918, October 27 - November 2 - 2200 deaths in London attributed to Spanish flu. Cora Crawley, Charles Carson and Lavinia Swire would all contract Spanish flu the following April, Lavinia would not survive it.
• 1918, November 11 - The episode ends on the day of the armistice (First Armistice at Compiègne) later commemorated in Commonwealth countries as Remembrance Day and Poppy Day; the U.S., already having a holiday to commemorate the country's war dead (Decoration Day or Memorial Day, established following the American Civil War) eventually dedicates the day to its war survivors as Veterans' Day.
• 1918, December 14 - The first general election under the Representation of the Peoples Act of 1918.

Episode 2.07

How long can Sybil and Branson keep their secret? Carlisle puts Anna in a difficult position, Bates is left reeling from the news about Vera, and Thomas embarks on a new scheme.

The time stamp says 1919, most likely in February (see historical date below). The episode opens with the last of the medical equipment being removed from Downton Abbey. Ethel and Mrs. Hughes contrive to set up a meeting for her to introduce her son to Major Bryant's parents.

• 1919, February 15 - The military hospital that had been set up in Highclere Castle during the war is formally closed.
• 1919, March 7 - The Canadian Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad (GTPR) is nationalised after defaulting on loan payments. The GTPR was owned by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR), headquartered in England, and in which Robert had invested a significant portion of Cora's fortune. The financial impact would hit in the spring of 1920.

Episode 2.08

With the wedding approaching there is excitement in the air, but will Branson's plans rattle everyone? A decisive Anna forces Bates to think about their future.

Set in April 1919.

• 1919, April 13 - Amritsar massacre, also know as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurs in the Punjab region of India. On the orders of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, the British army fired on a crowd of people protesting the arrest of two of their leaders. They fired for ten minutes, directing their bullets largely towards the few open gates through which people were trying to run out. The figures released by the British government were 370 dead and 1200 wounded. Isobel, Hugh MacClare and Lord Sinderby discuss the event in episode 5.08.
• 1919, June 28 - The Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending the state of war between Germany and the allied powers excepting the U.S. The U.S. negotiated separate treaties principally under the Knox–Porter Resolution.

2011 Christmas Special

Christmas 1919. Downton Abbey is hosting a lavish party, yet despite it being the season of goodwill, tensions are rife and Bates's arrest has cast a shadow over the festivities.^e

Ends on 12th January, 1920 with the servants ball and Matthew's proposal to Mary.

• 1920, January 16 Prohibition begins in the U.S. Mentioned by Robert in Episode 4.08, where he says "down with prohibition" and that "Harold has his uses".

Series 3 (1920–1921)

Episode 3.01

Cora's mother arrives for Matthew and Mary's wedding, but with the couple's relationship under strain will they even make it to the altar? Robert has some shocking news.

Spring 1920; March

Episode 3.02

In the hope of financial rescue from her American grandmother, Mary conspires with Violet to make sure Downton puts on a bigger show than ever before.

Episode 3.03

Edith's big day finally arrives, but will the family be convinced that Strallan's age does not matter? Mary takes matters into her own hands - but the price could be high.

Set in May 1920

Episode 3.04

Branson's political views land him in hot water and Sybil's loyalty is tested to the limit. Ethel is torn between head and heart as she makes a decision about her son's future.

Set in late May 1920.

Episode 3.05

An exciting offer for Edith divides opinion. Isobel throws Ethel a lifeline. New maid Ivy is attracting attention below stairs, and Alfred's interest is resented by Daisy.

Set in late May 1920 Lady Sibyl gives birth to Sybbie Branson, then dies of eclampsia.

Episode 3.06

Tempers fray as Isobel's kind gesture backfires. Branson's decisions are put under scrutiny. As Bates's chance of freedom slips away, he goes to extreme lengths.

Episode 3.07

Anna's patience is finally rewarded. Edith has an unexpected admirer. Matthew refuses to back down over his concerns. Branson's plans for the christening cause consternation.

Likely set in late June or early July 1920, as Catholic infant baptisms are supposed to be performed within the first few weeks of the infant's life.

• John Bates is freed from prison.
• Kieran Branson visits Downton for the baptism of Miss Sybil Branson.
• Jarvis resigns.
• Edith Crawley is hired as a journalist by Michael Gregson.
• Thomas Barrow kisses a sleeping Jimmy Kent and is caught by Alfred Nugent.

Episode 3.08

The annual cricket match brings out Robert's competitive side. As Violet's great niece Rose arrives, a trip to London reveals there is more to her than meets the eye.

Opens prior to August 11th, 1920 and ends on, or before, 30th September, 1920.

• Downton Abbey's annual cricket match with the village takes place and the house team win.
• Rose MacClare visits Downton.
• Edith, Rose and Matthew visit London, and stay at Rosamund Painswick's house.
• Rose meets with Terence Margadale at the Blue Dragon club.
• Mary and Matthew separately visit Dr. Ryder in London about their reproductive health.
• Edith visits Michael Gregson and finds out that he has a wife, who he tells her is in an insane asylum.
• John and Anna move into a cottage on the Downton estate.
• Robert Crawley promotes Thomas Barrow to under butler and Jimmy Kent to first footman.
• Ethel Parks leaves Isobel Crawley's employment to go work for a Mrs. Watson, who lives near the Bryants and her son, Charlie Parks.
• Tom and baby Sybil are to live in Downton Abbey with the family until Sybil is older.

• 1920, August 11 - Charles Ponzi's "scheme" comes crashing down. He is arrested the next day.
• 1920, August 18 - The US ratifies the 19th amendment to the Constitution, granting suffrage to women, mentioned by Robert in episode 3.04.
• 1920, September 3 - The film Way Down East, mentioned in episode 3.07, is released in the US.^f
• 1921, March 4 - Warren G. Harding succeeds Woodrow Wilson as President of the United States. While never mentioned by name, it is his administration that is scandalised by Teapot Dome, and involving Cora's brother Harold.
• 1921, April 1 - Early female aviation pioneer, Adrienne Bolland, flies over the Andes Mountains from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. Mentioned by Edith in episode 6.03.

2012 Christmas Special

The family receive a warm welcome at Duneagle Castle, visiting Rose and her parents in the Highlands. But there is no disguising the tensions between their hosts.

Set in September, 1921.

• Edna Braithwaite joins Downton as a new general maid and leaves soon after.
• Michael Gregson meets Edith's family whilst they are all in Scotland.
• It is arranged that Rose will stay with the Crawley's whilst her parents, Susan and Hugh MacClare are in India.
• Beryl Patmore has a short lived romance with Jos Tufton
• Some of the staff and Isobel Crawley and Richard Clarkson visit Thirsk fair.
• Thomas saves Jimmy from being beaten up and is beaten himself, instead. Due to this they end up agreeing to be friends.
• Birth of George Crawley.
• Death of Matthew Crawley.

Series 3-4 Gap (1921-1922)

• Rose moves to Downton.
• Hugh and Susan MacClare move to India.
• Sarah O'Brien corresponds with the MacClares to work for them in India.

Series 4 (1922—1923)

This series picks up six months after the end of the 2012 Christmas Special, and covers February 1922 into the summer of 1923.

Episode 4.01

Following Matthew's death, Mary is struggling to come to terms with her loss.

Set in February 1922, six months after the death of Matthew Crawley.

• 1922, January 11 - Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old diabetic who lay dying at the Toronto General Hospital, was given the first injection of insulin. Isobel Crawley and Lord Merton discuss the recent successes with the use of insulin in episode 5.02.
• Valentines day occurs during this episode - Anna and John Bates swap cards, Alfred Nugent sends one to Ivy Stuart, Beryl Patmore sends one to Daisy Mason.
• Sarah O'Brien leaves Downton to move to India under the employ of Susan MacClare.
• Nanny West is fired by Cora Crawley
• Edna Braithwaite is hired as Cora's new lady's maid for a short period of time, before Phyllis Baxter arrives in Episode 4.05.
• Charles Grigg is released from Ripon Workhouse into the care of Isobel Crawley.

Episode 4.02

Mary is beginning to emerge from her grief, Molesley's fortunes worsen and Lady Rose is out for some fun.

Opens in or after April 1922, as Jimmy says Phyllis Dare will be appearing in York after appearing in "The Lady of the Rose" in London. She appeared in this musical between February 21 and April of 1922.

• 1922, Between February and April - Gwen Dawson gets married to John Harding.
• 1922, April 15 - U.S Senator John B. Kendrick introduced a resolution calling for an investigation of the Teapot Dome (Wyoming) land deal, opening the scandal involving Cora's brother Harold Levinson and the need for Robert to go to America in episode 4.07.

Episode 4.03

An extravagant house party at the Abbey gives the Crawleys a chance to reconnect with old friends.

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 4.04

Amid the fallout from the eventful house party, Mary faces a pressing question about her future.

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 4.05

There is tension between Ivy and Daisy, and Isobel appeals to Violet's charitable nature.

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 4.06

A birthday party is planned for Robert, but Rose's surprise contribution to the event ruffles feathers.

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 4.07

Cora's brother is in trouble and Robert goes to America to bail him out. There are romantic tensions below stairs.

• July 1922 - Robert Crawley heads to America when his brother-in-law, Harold Levinson, gets in trouble for his role in the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Episode 4.08

Rosamund comes up with a plan to help Edith deal with her problem, but Violet may be about to see right through it.

• 1922, October 22 David Lloyd George is succeeded as Prime minister by Andrew Bonar Law.
• 1922, November 4 Howard Carter opens the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. While never mentioned in the series, this expedition was financed by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, owner of Highclere Castle used as the filming location for Downton Abbey. The Crawley dogs Isis and Pharaoh allude to this connection. The 5th Earl of Carnarvon would die on April 5, 1923 of erysipelas and blood poisoning contracted from an infected mosquito bite. The same condition Isobel Crawley misdiagnoses for Mr. Molesley in season one.
• 1922, December 6 - Ireland's independence is officially recognized.
• 1923, January 1 - The North Eastern Railway (NER) merges with the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), the line which serves Downton Railway Station.
• 1923, April 26 - Prince Albert, Duke of York marries Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey.
• 1923, May 22 - Andrew Bonar Law is succeeded as Prime Minister by Stanley Baldwin.

2013 Christmas Special

Set between April and July 1923; most likely May.

• The Crawleys attend the London summer season, staying at Grantham House
• Rose MacClare is presented at Buckingham Palace
• Harold and Martha Levinson visit the United Kingdom.
• Edith Crawley has returned from Switzerland with Rosamund Painswick, having spent eight months there and given birth to a girl.
• Phyllis Baxter, Joseph Molesley, Elsie Hughes, Charles Carson, Beryl Patmore, Daisy Robinson, Ivy Stuart, Anna Smith, John Bates, Thomas Barrow and Grantham House servants go to the beach.

Series 4-5 Gap (1923-1924)

• 1923, August 2 - Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States following the death of Warren Harding.
• 1923, November 8 - Adolf Hitler and the SA storm a public meeting in the Bürgerbräukeller, a large beer hall in Munich. The next day they march on the Bavarian War Ministry. Four police officers and sixteen NSDAP members were killed in the confrontation. Hitler was arrested two days later. It was known as the "Beer Hall Putsch".
• 1923, November 16 - Hyperinflation peaks in Germany with the U.S. Dollar trading at 4,210,500,000,000 German marks. A new currency, the Rentenmark, replaces the worthless Reichsbank marks.
• 1924, January 21 - Vladimir Lenin dies following a series of strokes that had largely incapacitated him since 1922. Joseph Stalin consolidates power following his death.
• 1924, January 22 - Ramsey MacDonald succeeds Stanley Baldwin as Prime Minister.
• 1924, February 1 - The UK recognises the Soviet Union.

Series 5 (1924)

Episode 5.01

Set between 15th and 17th February 1924.

Episode 5.02

Set in April, 1924, in the days leading up to and after the British Empire Exhibition.

• 1924, February 26 to April 1 - Trial of Adolf Hitler. Robert references the "Brownshirts" and the recent trial of its leader in a conversation with Edith about Michael Gregson in episode 5.04. Cora states in episode 5.06 that Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison. The sentencing occured on April 1, 1924.
• 1924, April 23 King George V gives the first radio broadcast by a sitting British monarch, opening the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, Middlesex.

Episode 5.03

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 5.04

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 5.05

Set after 22 September, 1924.

• 1924, September 22 - Bernard Fitzalan-Howard inherits the title of Baron Howard of Glossop, following the death of his father, Francis Edward Fitzalan-Howard.
• 1924 - The first nudist colony is established at Wickford, Essex. Rose mentions this in Episode 5.05.

Episode 5.06

No events that indicate a specific time period, but takes place on a Thursday/Friday/Saturday

Episode 5.07

• 1924, Between September 22 and October 17 - Takes place during the week immediately following Episode 5.06, Sunday-Friday. The Crawley's dog Isis dies.

Episode 5.08

Set in the two weeks leading up to and including October 25, 1924.

• 1924, October 24 - Rose MacClare marries Ephraim Atticus Aldridge at the register's office at Caxton Hall in London.
• 1924, October 25 - The WWI memorial is unveiled at a presentation in Downton.
• 1924, November 4 - Stanley Baldwin succeeds Ramsay MacDonald as Prime Minister.

2014 Christmas Special

• 1924, Between October 25 and December 10 - The Crawleys journey to Brancaster Castle, where Lord and Lady Sinderby host a grouse shooting party.
• 1924, December - Tony Gillingham and Mabel Lane Fox get married.
• 1924, December 24 - The Crawleys host a Christmas party for the tenants and servants. Charles Carson proposes to Elsie Hughes, and she accepts.

Series 5-6 Gap (early 1925)

• 1925, Between January and April - Atticus and Rose Aldridge leave for New York.
• 1925, January - Tom Branson and his daughter leave England for Boston.
• 1925, April 9 - Administration of Estates Act abolishes the legal rule of primogeniture in England and Wales.

Series 6 (1925)

Episode 6.01

It is now 1925, when secrets and rifts threaten the unity of the family, while those below stairs are faced with social changes.

Likely opening in March or April of 1925, as fox hunting season generally ends in March or April.

Episode 6.02

Lady Mary's meddling gets Mr Carson into trouble with Mrs Hughes. Cora and Violet lock horns over the hospital takeover plans. Robert has a tough decision to make.

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 6.03

Preparations for the wedding of Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes are under way. Edith meets up with an old acquaintance. Spratt has something to hide.

Set between May 9th, 1925 and May 30th, 1925.

• 1925, May - Britain returns to the gold standard.
• 1925, May 9 - The British Empire Exhibition Commemorative Stamp is issued.
• 1925, May 16 - Elsie Hughes marries Charles Carson at the St. Michael and All Angels Church in Downton.
• 1925, May 16 - Tom and Sybbie Branson move back to Downton Abbey.

Episode 6.04

As Tom and Sybbie settle back into life at Downton, the family and servants are surprised by the return of another old friend in unexpected circumstances.

• 1925, May 18 (approx.)

Episode 6.05

Violet invites the minister of health to dine as part of her scheme to quash plans for the takeover of the hospital. The evening proves distressing for everyone.

No events that indicate a specific time period.

Episode 6.06

Opinions are divided when Tom and Mary open Downton to the public for a day. Carson has an axe to grind with Thomas.

• 1925, June 6^g – Downton Abbey opens its doors to the people, with proceeds in favour of the Downton Hospital Trust.

Episode 6.07

Henry Talbot invites the Crawleys to watch him motor racing at Brooklands, but events leave Mary reeling. Violet's plan surprises the family and delights Denker.

• 1925, July 20 – Henry Talbot, Charlie Rogers, and a few others participate in a motor race at the Brooklands Race Track. The race results in the death of Charlie Rogers.

Episode 6.08

A change of circumstance puts Bertie Pelham in the limelight, and Edith must decide whether to conceal her past at all costs or confront the truth and risk losing everything.

• Set between July 22 and August 29, 1925- Peter Pelham, the 6th Marquess of Hexham, dies at age 39 in Tangiers, Morocco, and he is succeeded as the Marquess of Hexham by his second-cousin once-removed, Bertie Pelham.
• 1925, July 25, August 1, 8, 15, or 22 - Mary Crawley marries Henry Talbot at the St. Michael and All Angels Church in Downton.
• 1925, August 29 – Amelia Cruikshank marries Larry Grey at the St. Andrews Church.

2015 Christmas Special

Romance abounds in the final episode, but for some the year's end is bittersweet. Mary endeavours to build bridges but Edith's secret continues to pose a threat.

Set between September 1 and December 31st, 1925.

• 1925, Between August and September - Mary Talbot conceives a child with husband Henry.
• 1925, Between September 1 and September 30 – Richard Grey is diagnosed with pernicious anemia, which can lead to death.
• 1925, Between September 1 and September 30 – Isobel Crawley agrees to marry Richard Grey, and they wed at the St. Michael and All Angels Church. She immediately inherits the title Isobel Grey, Baroness Merton.
• 1925, Between September 1 and September 30 – Rose Aldridge gives birth to a baby girl called Victoria Rachel Cora Aldridge.
• 1925, December 31 – Richard Clarkson informs Richard Grey and his wife Isobel that he has iron-deficient anaemia with low haemoglobin, meaning he will not die.
• 1925, December 31 – Edith Crawley marries Herbert Pelham at the St. Michael and All Angels Church and becomes the new Marchioness of Hexham.
• 1925, December 31 – Anna Bates gives birth to a baby boy.

Downton Abbey: The Movie (1927)

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Set in July 1927.

Downton Abbey: A New Era (1928)

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Set in April 1928, nine months after the first film. The final scene is probably set in the first weeks of 1929.

Notes

• ↑ ^a The date on the Cheerful Charlies handbill would seem to contradict the details of Carson's employment history given in the Rules for Household Staff (see 1875 entry above), as well as the general characterization of Carson being present for all of Mary's childhood.
• ↑ ^b As a historical note, in real life there was no Ripon by-election in 1914.
• ↑ ^c In historical fact, only the execution of the Tsar had been officially announced at that point. The Soviet government did not confirm the fate of the rest of the family until 1926.
• ↑ ^d In Episode 2.05, there is a continuity error. The date of death given on William's marker at his grave reads "26/07/18"; that is, 26 July 1918. The Battle of Ameins was fought from 8–12 August 1918. Since both of these pieces of information cannot be right, it may be that William's death date should really be 26 August 1918.
• ↑ ^e Jessica Brown Findlay and Allen Leech did not appear as Lady Sybil Branson and Tom Branson respectively, though it is revealed that they are now married and Sybil is pregnant.
• ↑ ^f This presents a problem for the timeline because episode 3.08 must occur prior to the Ponzi scheme's collapse on August 11, while episode 3.07 must occur after the release of Way Down East on September 3.
• ↑ ^g There is a continuity error in Episode 6.06, as words from Cora about Bertie coming to Downton imply that the open house occurs on the 13th... when it actually occurs on the 6th.