The servants are led by Mr. Carson, the butler, who is in charge of the male staff, and Mrs. Hughes, the housekeeper, who, despite her title, is unmarried. (It was common at the time for housekeepers to be given "Mrs." as a show of respect.) Sarah O'Brien serves as maid to Lady Grantham, and Anna Smith serves as head housemaid. The servants' world is rocked when a man named John Bates, who served the earl during the war, arrives to be the earl's valet. He walks with a cane as a result of a war injury, and many of the servants, especially O'Brien and the first footman, Thomas, feel he is unable to properly serve as valet because of his disability. Thomas especially resents him because he wanted Bates's job.
By Anonymous/HONS/PBS/AP
