As a relationship that defied convention, the romance between valet John Bates and maid Ann Smith in Downton Abbey warmed the hearts of millions of viewers.
The love story was, of course, all the invention of the hit ITV show's creator, Julian Fellowes.
But now, a trove of photos, letters and mementos shed light on a real-life romance between servants in the shadow of the First World War.
Valet Alf Edwards and kitchen maid Caroline Palmer married in 1916 after meeting when both were on the staff at the palatial Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire.
The couple had three happy years and two sons together, before Palmer died from tuberculosis, leaving Caroline a widow for nearly 50 years.
