Jamie Taylor is a major character in The Haunting Of Bly Manor. She is the groundskeeper at Bly Manor who eventually finds herself engaged with Dani Clayton, the new au pair of Bly.
Biography[]
Life before Bly Manor[]
Jamie's parents met when her father, Dennis, was 24 and her mother, Louise, was 18. They had Jamie's older brother, Denny, a year later. After Jamie's birth, her father started working in a coal mine, which caused him to be rarely present. Louise then had another child, Mikey, with another man. Both Louise and Jamie were then harassed for sexual promiscuity both in and out of their home. In 1967, Louise leaves, forcing Jamie to take care of her younger brother. It is revealed that an accident happened and Social Services got involved, splitting up Jamie and Mikey. Jamie was then placed in foster care, which she hated, until she later left for London.
She served a two year sentence in prison, where she started gardening.
Life at Bly Manor[]
Jamie begins working at Bly Manor at least a year before the series begins. She has a good relationship with the rest of the staff and children at Bly Manor, although she quickly developed a hatred for Peter Quint. She reveals that she has a flat above the one pub in Bly. She is often seen working outdoors, in the gardens or in the greenhouse. She gets progressively closer to Dani Clayton, the au pair, and a relationship eventually blossoms between the two women.
After Bly Manor[]
After Dani invites Viola into herself and breaks the spell cast over the manor, she and Jamie leave, and go to America, at least for a little while. After a year of being together, the two women open a flower shop called "The Leafling" in Vermont. After a few years of living together, Dani proposes to Jamie. Although they acknowledge that they can't technically marry, they acknowledge a new and sacred marriage-like bond between them. They honeymoon in France where they visit Owen's restaurant. As the years progress, Dani becomes more and more unstable as Viola slowly wakes up and begins to take over more of her, and Jamie attempts to act as an anchor for Dani, stabilizing her in the worst of her episodes. Unfortunately, in the year 2000, Viola's ghost wakes up and Dani sacrifices herself by drowning in the lake of Bly Manor in order to protect Jamie. She goes to Bly Manor one last time and finds Dani's lifeless body inside the lake, and vows never to return again.
Narration of the story[]
Jamie is unknowingly the narrator of the entire story of Bly Manor. She tells a group of younger men and women a haunting story about Bly Manor at a rehearsal dinner for Flora's wedding. Eventually, it is revealed — although not to those hearing the story — that she is in fact, Jamie, the woman from the story. After she leaves the party and falls asleep in her hotel room, a hand touches her shoulder, and it is revealed that Dani has been watching over her all along.
Relationships[]
Dani Clayton[]
Dani Clayton was first introduced to Jamie as the new au pair, tasked with looking after the children that graced the grounds on which she maintained the gardens. Through numerous interactions, they become close, start sharing subtle touches, and eventually kiss. However, Dani is still guilt-ridden over the death of her ex-fiancé, Edmund. Jamie helps Dani absolve her guilt, and they consummate their relationship shortly after.
After leaving Bly Manor, and going to America, Jamie and Dani spend many happy years together. 4 years later, Dani proposes to Jamie. However, their happiness is short-lived. Dani had taken on the curse of the lady of the lake to save Flora, not knowing how long she would live her happy life with Jamie. Sadly, after many happy years, Viola (the lady of the lake) started to take over Dani's body, leading Dani to do unconscious actions, such as almost strangling Jamie in her sleep. Dani then leaves out of fear, terrified of hurting her beloved, and drowns herself in the lake at Bly Manor.
Jamie never stops loving Dani even after decades. The series ends with an older Jamie looking in a bathtub and sink full of water hoping to see Dani in the reflection. When she doesn’t, she walks out of the bathroom, and opens the door with a small crack, placing a seat in front of the door, and sleeping in it. As the camera zooms out, Dani’s hand is seen on her shoulder, showing that she watches over Jamie every night, making sure her true love is safe.
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
- Jamie to Dani: "I saw how he twisted himself into her, burrowed in deep. I know why so many people mix love and possession.."
- -- The Two Faces, Part 1
- Jamie to Dani: “You see.. I'm not sick of you. At all. I'm actually pretty in love with you, it turns out."
- -- The Beast in the Jungle
- Jamie to Dani: "Everyone is exhaustive, even the best ones. But sometimes, once in a goddamned moon, someone, like this moonflower, just might be worth the effort."
- -- The Jolly Corner
Trivia[]
- She is the narrator of the series.
- She is one of the two known LGBTQ+ characters portrayed on Bly Manor. The other is Dani Clayton, her wife.
- Amelia Eve, who is the principal portrayer of Jamie, has tweeted that in her notes, Jamie's last name was "Taylor" but it was never shown in the series, referring to her nomadic nature.
- She has a scar on her right shoulder, which she most likely got from the accident she got involved in when she was taking care of her younger brother Mikey.[1]
- Most of Jamie's backstory was written by Amelia Eve herself and then included in the show by Mike Flanagan. [2][1][2]