Which maid marries John Bates?

The maid who marries John Bates is Anna Bates. She begins Downton Abbey as Anna Smith, a trusted member of the household staff and eventually Lady Mary's lady's maid.

Anna and John Bates develop a relationship gradually, but their romance is complicated by Bates's estranged wife, Vera. Because Vera refuses to grant a divorce, Anna and Bates cannot marry immediately. After Vera's death, Anna insists that they marry so she will have legal rights if Bates is accused of murder.

They marry in a private civil ceremony at a registrar's office near the end of the second series. Their relationship then faces further hardship when Bates is convicted of Vera's murder, although Anna remains convinced of his innocence and works to help clear his name.

A common mix-up is confusing Anna with other Downton servants such as Daisy Mason or Ethel Parks. Anna is also sometimes identified as Anna Smith, her maiden name, but Anna Bates is the correct married name used in the series.