Created by Upstairs, Downstairs Nationality British | Gender male Portrayed by Christopher Beeny | |
Similar Ruby Finch, Sarah Moffat, Thomas Watkins, Elizabeth Bellamy, James Bellamy | ||
Edward Barnes (born 24 January 1889), is a fictional character in the British television series, Upstairs, Downstairs. He was portrayed by Christopher Beeny.
He replaced Alfred as footman in 1906, but Alfred Harris in Rose's Pigeon returns to the house Eaton Place . Alfred is on the run from the police having murdered his previous employer, with holding Edward hostage at knifepoint and taking Edward hostage in the coal cellar. In The Bolter Edward Banes goes as James Bellamy's footman for a weekend visit to Somerby, the country house of James' school-friend Lord "Bunny" Newbury. During his visit to Somerby Edward sees Lord Gilmour and Lady Tewkesbury together. In What the Footman Saw he claims that he saw Gilmour and the married Lady Tewkesbury sleeping together. That leads to the scandalous divorce case of Lord and Lady Tewkesbury.
Banes stays until he leaves to go to war in 1915, having just married Daisy. Edward is a high-spirited, honest and happy fellow and the source of happy banter, but suffers from severe shell shock after returning from the front. After the war, and following a short period in which he and Daisy leave service, he becomes chauffeur and under butler to the Bellamys, and in 1930 becomes butler to Lord and Lady Stockbridge.