<P> The romantic saga follows Ross Poldark ( Robin Ellis ) as he loses his fiancée , the well - bred beauty , Elizabeth ( Jill Townsend ) , to his cousin Francis ( Clive Francis ) . Ross ends up marrying his servant , the unlikely - looking Demelza ( Angharad Rees ) , but his passion for Elizabeth simmers on for years . Set in late 18th century Cornwall , the plot follows Ross Poldark 's attempts to make his derelict tin mines a success . Life is hard , smuggling is rife and Ross Poldark finds himself taking the side of the underclass against the ruthless behaviour of his enemies , the greedy Warleggan clan including George Warleggan ( Ralph Bates ) . </P>
<P> The romantic saga follows Ross Poldark ( Robin Ellis ) as he loses his fiancée , the well - bred beauty , Elizabeth ( Jill Townsend ) , to his cousin Francis ( Clive Francis ) . Ross ends up marrying his servant , the unlikely - looking Demelza ( Angharad Rees ) , but his passion for Elizabeth simmers on for years . Set in late 18th century Cornwall , the plot follows Ross Poldark 's attempts to make his derelict tin mines a success . Life is hard , smuggling is rife and Ross Poldark finds himself taking the side of the underclass against the ruthless behaviour of his enemies , the greedy Warleggan clan including George Warleggan ( Ralph Bates ) . </P>
who played ross poldark in the original tv series
who played ross poldark in the original tv series
Robin Ellis
Robin Ellis