Warleggan

Warleggan is a fictional surname used for a prominent Cornish family in Winston Graham's Poldark novels. The Warleggans belong to the late 18th-century landed gentry and are notable for their wealth derived from copper mining and finance, which gives them influence in Cornish society and politics. The family often serves as a foil to the Poldark family, who represent a more traditional, local country-gentleman line.

The key figure in much of the series is George Warleggan, a powerful and ambitious mine owner and banker who becomes a major rival of Ross Poldark. His alliances and social maneuvering, including marriage prospects and political connections, drive much of the early plot tension and complicate relationships within the social circle of Truro and the surrounding countryside.

In adaptations, Warleggan is a central antagonist in both the novels and the television series. In the 2015–2019 BBC adaptation, the character is portrayed by Jack Farthing, with other members of the Warleggan family depicted in supporting roles. The name has come to symbolize the clash between old-money industrial capitalism and traditional rural gentry in Cornwall during the late 18th century.

See also: Poldark (series), George Warleggan.