Downton Abbey! and the accents

[Palestrina]

So I've binged the past 2 weeks on all of Downton Abbey. I'm finishing up season 4, in the middle of episode 5 now.

I wanted to ask for those of you who are from the UK, how do I find out what english accent comes from where? Daisy the kitchen maid for example, she speaks really differently than Bates, and differently than Anna. I think I can tell Ms. Hughes has a Scottish accent. At first I thought they were all putting on an accent but I've seen the actors on interview and it seems they employ the same accents as they have on the show.

It's all very fascinating to me.

 

[Button#]

You could always have a look on the IMDb website and see where they all come from. The series is set in Yorkshire and I think that's where The actress that plays Daisy is from.

 

[misspriss]

I wondered about that myself, I've only just finished season/series 2, so no spoilers or anything....I should probably go look that up!

 

[Palestrina]

I have found youtube videos to be extremely helpful, who knew there were so many accents and dialects!

 

[Pearls18]

Downton Abbey is aired in the autumn here so I can't really remember how everyone speaks, but as a PP says it's based up north so the accents are often northern in nature with the help, but you'll notice the family don't have the same accent and chances are they would have been taught to speak the "Queen's English" it would be seen to be a bit under class to have a dialect (even today!) so they would have been to elocution lessons historically. If the actor has been in coronation street according to imdb it'll be a northern accent , but there's lots of different types of northern accents too! It's quite crazy how many strong accents we have in the UK, off the top of my head: welsh, Scottish, Irish, Liverpudlian, brummy, Geordie, Essex, West Country and Landan! But there's loads more!

 

[Mummy May]

Downton Abbey is aired in the autumn here so I can't really remember how everyone speaks, but as a PP says it's based up north so the accents are often northern in nature with the help, but you'll notice the family don't have the same accent and chances are they would have been taught to speak the "Queen's English" it would be seen to be a bit under class to have a dialect (even today!) so they would have been to elocution lessons historically. If the actor has been in coronation street according to imdb it'll be a northern accent , but there's lots of different types of northern accents too! It's quite crazy how many strong accents we have in the UK, off the top of my head: welsh, Scottish, Irish, Liverpudlian, brummy, Geordie, Essex, West Country and Landan! But there's loads more!

I think Mancs would come inmy top list too lol! There really is loads! Xx

 

[Noodlebear]

I don't watch Downton Abbey but I think that when I hear different American accents so found it quite amusing to hear that we Brits confuse you too Nowadays a lot of the accents aren't as strong!