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Joan Chynoweth (née Le Grice) (1730 - 1804[1]) was the mother of Elizabeth Warleggan and the grandmother of Geoffrey Charles Poldark, Valentine and Ursula Warleggan.


Biography[]

Early life[]

Joan Le Grice was born in 1730. She later married Jonathan Chynoweth of Cusgarne and had a daughter, Elizabeth Chynoweth in 1764.[1]

Elizabeth's marriage[]

By March 1783, the Chynoweth family had become impoverished. Joan wanted her daughter to marry into the Poldark family of Trenwith to elevate their family back into high society. She eventually persuaded Elizabeth to get engaged to Francis Poldark.[2]

Joan was very proud of her daughter's engagement to Francis. She attended a celebratory dinner at Trenwith. Elizabeth's former love, Ross Poldark returned from the Revolutionary War that evening even though they thought he was dead. He heard that Francis was engaged and when he asked to who, Joan gladly told him about Elizabeth.[2]

Joan later caught Elizabeth sneaking out to speak to Ross. She told Joan that she wanted to speak to him and work out what to do about her engagement. Joan was upset because Elizabeth had agreed to marry Francis, who loved her and was very wealthy. She told Elizabeth marrying Ross would bring her poverty and uncertainty. Elizabeth was unconcerned about that but Joan pointed out if Ross loved her, he would have found her and fought for her by now.[2]

Joan was successful in persuading Elizabeth to forget Ross and stay true to her promise to Francis. She was present when her daugher married Francis[2], and happy at the birth of her grandson, Geoffrey Charles, in 1784.[3]

In around 1793, she had a stroke which left her in need of support. Her daughter's husband had since died and left her in debt. Elizabeth struggled to pay for her care. She received financial help from George Warleggan, who she later married.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Her full name is never given in the TV show, but it had to be Joan Le Grice as given in the books by Winston Graham.[1]
  • Her husband never appears in the show and is thought to have died some years earlier. However, in the books, he is prominent and outlived Joan by two years.[1]

Notes and sources[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 See this image
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Poldark, Series 1, Episode 1
  3. Poldark, Series 1, Episode 3
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