Thomas Watkins
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Thomas Watkins was a fictional character in the ITV drama Upstairs, Downstairs and its spin-off Thomas & Sarah. He was portrayed by John Alderton.
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[edit] Greenwich
When newly-married Elizabeth Kirbridge arrived with Rose at her new home in Greenwich in 1909, the Welsh Thomas Watkins was waiting outside her new house, after responding to an advert to be manservant to Elizabeth's husband Lawrence[1]. He soon struck up a friendship with Rose, and the two witnessed the collapsing marriage of Lawrence and Elizabeth. When the two separated, Lawrence was given an allowance and sent to travel the world and he wanted to take Watkins with him. However, Thomas decided to stay and became chauffeur to the Bellamy's at Eaton Place.
[edit] Sarah
From the moment Thomas Watkins came to Eaton Place, he and Sarah quickly became close. They joined forces to defeat an Irishman who was trying to blackmail the Bellamy's, and their closeness resulted in her becoming pregnant. Sarah told everyone that this was the result of an encounter with a gentleman while she sheltered from the rain. Thomas then offered marriage to solve the problem, and went to Richard Bellamy to ask permission to do so. He liked the idea, as it would solve many problems, and gave Thomas £500 to start his own garage. Thomas always had ambitions above domestic service, and he and Sarah left service when they received the £500. They returned to visit the servants and to give Lady Marjorie a birthday present, on 6 May 1910. The subsequent celebration downstairs ended when the news of Edward VII's death broke.
[edit] Life away from service
When they left service, Thomas and Sarah went their separate ways. Sarah gave birth at an aunt's house in the East End to a girl, who died at about an hour old [2]. Soon after this, Thomas and Sarah got back together, although they never married. They begun by trying at the garage business, but when this failed they tried many different schemes to make money, and even had servants of their own for a short time after Thomas won on a gamble. Thomas and Sarah were later forced back into service in the employ of Richard de Brassey, an eccentric man. Sarah and Richard had an affair, but when Thomas became trapped in a burning house Richard attempted to save him and the house collapsed. Richard died in the fire, while Thomas survived.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ According to Series One, Elizabeth's marriage and Thomas entry to the series was in 1909. However in Series Two everything was put back a year, so these events were said to have happened in 1908. This article follows the Series One date.
- ^ This baby was never mentioned in the series, but the event is described in the first novelisation of Thomas & Sarah.
[edit] References
- Mollie Hardwick, Thomas & Sarah, Sphere Books Limited, 1978
