What is the surname of the scheming footman Thomas?

The scheming footman's surname is Barrow: he is Thomas Barrow. Played by Robert James-Collier, Thomas joins Downton Abbey as a junior footman and quickly becomes one of the household's most ambitious and disruptive servants.

Thomas resents John Bates because Bates receives the valet position he wanted. He conspires with O'Brien, steals wine and attempts to frame Bates, establishing his early reputation as a calculating villain. His plans are also shaped by his desire to rise through the rigid hierarchy of domestic service, eventually becoming under-butler and later butler.

Thomas is also one of the series' most layered characters. He is a closeted gay man at a time when male homosexuality was criminalised in Britain, and the danger surrounding his private life helps explain some of his fear and defensiveness. Viewers sometimes confuse Barrow with Carson, Molesley or Bates, but those are separate members of Downton's male staff.