Tom Branson

Grew up… in Gray, County Wicklow, Ireland. Tom lived with his parents and brother, but decided to leave the country for England.

Living… in Yorkshire. Tom arrives at Downton Abbey as a replacement for Mr. Taylor, who retired to open up a tea shop. 

Profession… a chauffeur. But Tom doesn’t plan on driving rich aristocrats around for the rest of his life. He has greater ambitions, especially within the realm of politics: “I’m a Socialist, not a revolutionary. And I won’t always be a chauffeur.” His political views don’t make his job any easier.

Interests… in his words, “history and politics, mainly.” Branson is an advocate for women’s rights and Irish freedom. He also wants to close the gap between the poor and the aristocracy. Some aristocrats might not take kindly to him working on their estates given his views, but so far he’s been allowed to remain at Downton.

Relationship Status… single. However one of the Crawley daughters has made quite an impression on him. Branson takes an interest in Lady Sybil when he discovers that she is a champion for women’s rights. He loves politics and she seems like an extremely political woman.

Challenge… keeping Lady Sybil safe. Branson is thrilled to find another individual who shares his passions and wants to spend as much time with her as possible. Unfortunately, Sybil has acquired a taste for attending some rather unruly political rallies. It’s his job to prevent her from getting hurt. And if Branson ever has designs on Sybil herself, her father the Earl of Grantham might be looking to hurt Branson.

Personality… amicable, but blunt and strong-willed. Branson has a pleasant and friendly demeanor, but he doesn’t hold back when it comes to expressing his opinions. He’ll stick to his beliefs, regardless of how controversial they are within the context of an aristocratic English estate.