Verity Blamey (neé Poldark) is the sister of the late Francis Poldark, the cousin of Ross Poldark, the second wife of Captain Andrew Blamey, stepmother of James and Esther, and mother of Andrew Blamey II.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Verity Poldark was born in 1758 to Charles and Verity Poldark (née Michell). She had a younger brother, Francis Poldark and was raised at Trenwith. Their mother died when Verity was around the age of 15[1], and she had to take her place in the running of the household.[2]
She ended up having to care for her father, who laughed at her lack of prospects. Due to her plain appearance, she remains a spinster and Trenwith began to feel like a prison to her.[2]
Supporting Ross[]
In September 1783, she attended a dinner to celebrate her brother's engagement to their cousin Ross Poldark's former love, Elizabeth Chynoweth. Her father treated her like she was a servant, demanding she hurry to serve food. Ross was presumed dead for two years, but she was glad when Ross showed up during the dinner.[2]
Verity later met Ross while she was walking and she told him that the wedding would be taking place in a fortnight, even though Elizabeth and Francis had not been together very long. Ross made a snarky comment about how Elizabeth just agreed to marry Francis because he was rich. Verity told Ross she was sorry for what he had returned home to, but he would have to find his own way through it.[2]
Verity later attended Francis and Elizabeth's wedding. She spoke to Ross again during the wedding, and told him about George Warleggan's success in the financial business.[2]
Romance[]
Verity lives a very sheltered life with her father, so she sneaks over to Nampara where she asks Ross to escort her to a dance. He agrees. At the dance, Verity meets Captain Andrew Blamey. They get along very well and he asks her when he may see her again.
However, when her family find out about Blamey, they are not happy and speak of a secret he has. Charles and Francis tell Verity that Andrew has a drinking problem, and killed his wife. They try to keep her in the house until she promises not to meet with Andrew again, but Verity decides to sneak out. She goes to Nampara where she tells Ross that she knows Andrew has changed, and that he loves her and she wants to keep meeting him. Ross agrees that she may meet with Andrew at his home.
However, Charles and Francis find out. Ross tries to make them see that they have misjudged Andrew, but they won't believe him and Francis goes to find Andrew at Nampara. Verity tries to tell him that she should be allowed to make her own choices. Despite Verity's protests, Francis challenges Andrew to a duel. Verity screams that she will return to Trenwith and never see Andrew again if they agree not to duel. However, they proceed, and Andrew wins, leaving Francis wounded. Andrew then leaves Verity.
Verity is present when Elizabeth goes into labour, and sends for a doctor. She stays for the birth of her nephew. Verity, still disheartened about losing Andrew, tends her father after he suffers a stroke. Verity talks to Francis in the hallway, who hasn't been very kind to his family lately, and he tells her that she always takes Ross and Elizabeth's side. Verity is still upset with Francis because of what he did to Andrew, and Francis walks away. Her father later dies.
When Verity hears about the wedding of Ross to Demelza Carne, she is the only one to write to them of her joy. She tells them she is hoping to visit them soon.
She later visits them, but Demelza was nervous because she had never really met anyone in the Poldark family before. Verity is kind to Demelza and teaches her about higher society and takes her shopping for new dresses. Demelza tells Verity she is pregnant, though she has yet to tell Ross.
Verity greets Ross and Demelza when they arrive at Trenwith to spend Christmas. However, the Christmas meal is ruined by the arrival of the Warleggans, who make fun of Verity's unmarried status.
Marriage[]
Verity later attends the christening of Julia Poldark, where she helps calm Demelza down when she worries about the Carne and Poldark families meeting. Demelza kept telling Verity to seek Andrew and begin their romance again but Verity won't. Demelza decides to reunite them herself and having set up a rendezvous with Andrew, she invites Verity shopping.
However, when Verity sees Andrew, she flees, only to get stuck in the middle of a miner's riot. Demelza has followed her and they both hold on to each other until Andrew saves them and they hide behind a cart. Andrew tells her that he loves her, and will never leave her again. Verity kisses him.
Everyone soon finds out, but Verity still won't admit the relationship to her family. She tells Ross and Demelza that she will tell them, but she needs time. She later visits them again to say sorry for the death of Jim Carter, and that Ross needs to keep it together at the ball later.
At the ball, Andrew shows up. Verity is worried because she knows Francis won't be happy to see him, so she tries to get Andrew to leave. Andrew wants to see Francis so he may try to get him to understand that he has truly changed. Francis then shows up, and tries to hit Andrew. Andrew leaves again and Francis tells Verity she may never meet with him again. She cries to Demelza that she may never see Andrew again.
Having been sent a letter by Andrew, Demelza tries to get Verity to make a choice once and for all about whether to stay with her family or leave to marry Andrew. Verity decides to elope with him, and waits until Francis, Elizabeth and their child go out for a walk. She leaves a note for Agatha, and leaves, upsetting Francis. Verity and Andrew later happily marry.
Despite her happy marriage to Andrew, Verity is upset because Francis will not forgive her. She is also worried about meeting Andrew's children. She meets his daughter, Esther, who shows up at the house early while Andrew was out. Despite Verity's attempt at kindness, Esther is not happy about her father re-marrying and sulks upstairs. When Andrew returns with his son, James, he is much kinder to Verity and welcomes her into his family, telling his sister to stop sulking.
Verity later attends the christening of Jeremy Poldark and attends a celebration of Ross Poldark's mining venture, Wheal Grace.
Following a meeting between her husband and brother, her relationship with Francis improves, and they are now talking to each other again. However, she still is spending much time at Trenwith, and Agatha decides to pretend to being unwell to get her to stay longer. Francis eventually accepts Verity back into their family, and is kind to her, to Verity's joy. Verity is later grieved to find out about her brother's death at Wheal Grace, and attends his funeral.
Seven months later, Verity is staying at Trenwith. She talks to Demelza about the awkward relationship between Ross and Elizabeth. Demelza says Ross never tells her what he talks about with Elizabeth when he visits her, having decided to take care of her following Francis' death, and that being married is an act of faith, and that she shouldn't have to keep asking Ross proof for its validity. She needs to let some things go. Verity takes it to heart, and decides she needs to go home to Andrew.
Verity tells her family at Trenwith she will be leaving, and tells Elizabeth to stay away from Nampara for Christmas, fearing her old feelings for Ross may get in the middle of his relationship with Demelza.