Mr. Bates, as he is called by most in the house, is Lord Grantham's valet and served as his batman during the Second Boer War. Bates suffered a leg injury during the war and has clearly earned some debt of gratitude from Lord Grantham, who is the one who insisted on hiring Bates and eventually keeping him despite some early troubles with Bates' employment at the estate. The staff did not receive Bates very warmly, seeing his physical condition as a drain on them and resulting in more work them. Thomas and Miss O'Brien, in particular, gave Bates the cold shoulder for no particular reason and plotted to have him fired. Thomas sees Bates as the one obstacle complicating his chance to take the prestigious position as Lord Grantham's valet. While most of the rest of the staff treats Bates coldly, Anna is a kind and supportive presence.Bates has a dark, mysterious past but says little about it until some aspects become too evident to ignore any longer. He was married before he came to Downton, having yet to finalize his divorce.Background: Bates does not say much about his family or childhood, though he does mention his mother is Irish and he has a Scottish grandmother.