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"I am not a novice anywhere."
—Stowell.[src]

Stowell is the butler in Canningford Grange, the residence of Lord and Lady Sinderby.

Biography[]

1924[]

Stowell accompanies Lord and Lady Sinderby from their home at Canningford Grange to Brancaster Castle in Northumberland for the grouse season, as the butler there is not present during that time. But the staff at Brancaster do not like taking orders from Stowell. Lady Sinderby, unlike her husband, is not too particularly fond of him.

The Sinderbys invite the Crawley family over for the grousing season. Stowell treats Tom Branson with rudeness and disrespect. He refuses to serve him, walking away when Tom asks for sugar and going right past him when serving bread and wine at the table. As Rose explains to Mary, Stowell is "punishing" Tom because of his background, because he is both Irish and a former chauffeur. Baxter remarks that Stowell does not approve of Tom's "bettering himself". Stowell even asks Barrow how he can bear to wait on Tom.

Rose also remarks to Mary that behind her father-in-law's back, according to her maid, Stowell has little respect for his employer, which is proven true when Stowell talks to Barrow, whom he had also treated with disrespect by calling him a "temporary" valet and forcing him to serve as a footman at Brancaster.

While Tom dismisses Stowell's treatment of him, Mary is prompted to ask Barrow to find a way to get Stowell into trouble. Barrow succeeds in tricking the cook into serving a bland dinner to Sinderby so that when he questions Stowell, the butler's frank and rude response makes Lord Sinderby shout back at him.

Atticus calls Stowell "a proud chap" who won't easily forgive Lord Sinderby's behavior. Barrow, who was also insulted by Sinderby, gets Stowell drunk and tricks him into divulging the secret of Lord Sinderby's love child with Diana Clark. When Clark is tricked into coming to Brancaster, Rose saves him and then uses this incident to make Stowell behave himself. Stowell agrees to be more polite to Tom. As Mary later remarks to guest Henry Talbot after observing Stowell politely ask Tom if there is anything he needs, the butler "is back in his box".

Appearances[]

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

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