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Rachel Aldridge, Baroness Sinderby,[1] is the mother of Atticus Aldridge, the wife of Lord Sinderby, and present matriarch of the Aldridge family.

Biography[]

Background[]

Lady Sinderby's family arrived in England during the years of 1483–1485, the reign of King Richard III, whereas her husband's came in the 1850's. She and her husband are prominent figures in England's Jewish community.

She mentioned visiting Yorkshire as a girl, and found it "beautiful". She has at least two cousins: Lady Ann Melford and Sir John Glough.[2]

1924[]

Lady Sinderby and her husband make the acquaintance of the Crawley family after her son befriends their cousin, Lady Rose MacClare, whom she finds very charming.

She notes Atticus seems to be very taken with Rose, and unlike her husband hopes for something more to come out of it. Her husband does not wish for Atticus to marry out of the faith, because he fears his son's children will not be Jewish and so they will lose their prominent position in England's Jewish community. According to Rose, Lady Sinderby does care about their position, but considers her son's happiness to be far more important.

She, like her husband, knows they will likely face resentment in Yorkshire due to their faith, but remarks "Happily we're used to it." She is also pleased to hear from Lord Grantham that they will have no trouble from his family, as his late father-in-law was Jewish himself.

When Atticus and Rose become engaged, she and Rose's father Lord Flintshire are quite happy, whereas Lord Sinderby and Lady Flintshire do not approve. Lady Flintshire asks Lady Sinderby if she finds it hard to hire servants, to which she replies no, because they pay well.

After Atticus is set up by Lady Flintshire in an attempt to break up the wedding which fails, Lady and Lord Sinderby learn from her, moments before the wedding, that she and her husband are divorcing. Knowing her husband does not approve of divorce, Lady Sinderby herself threatens to leave him if he does anything to stop the wedding.

She accompanies her family to Brancaster Castle in Northumberland later that year for the grouse season, where they are joined by the Crawleys. She does not appear to like her husband's butler, Stowell, who has come with them. She stands with Tom Branson during the shooting, asking him how difficult it was in joining the family, and commending him on his shooting skills. She remarks that her family is not very welcoming.










Appearances[]

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

References[]

  1. Baron is the only rank of the Aristocracy that is addressed, both in correspondence and verbally, as "Lord [title]", which is how Lord Sinderby is addressed, meaning he has to be a Baron.
  2. Episode 5:08: Atticus mentions that Lady Melford is his mother's cousin and, later, Lady Sinderby asks Rose if she would meet "[her] cousin, Sir John Glough".
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