George MacLeish

Sir George MacLeish (1797-1869) was the eccentric father of Sir Robert MacLeish. He was an owner of Torchwood House.

Sir George was a friend of Queen Victoria's late husband Prince Albert. (TV: Tooth and Claw) The pair would often while away the nights discussing the mysteries of the heavens. (PROSE: History of the House)

Much of the Torchwood fell into disrepair when the house was owned by Sir George, in the 19th century. He rebuilt the Great Staircase using Amyris elemifera - trees specially shipped to Scotland for the purpose. In a similarly eccentric fashion, he had the walls and doors of the library varnished with viscum album - oil of mistletoe. Around the same time, he built the Torchwood Observatory, (PROSE: History of the House) and designed the light chamber.

The light chamber, together with the Koh-i-Noor diamond, killed the Haemovariform. (TV: Tooth and Claw)

Personality
Robert MacLeish spoke of his late father as being fanatical, calling the light chamber his father's obsession and saying that his father spent his money on his invention rather than on the house or himself. Robert also stated that most people thought of his father as being eccentric. (TV: Tooth and Claw) The Torchwood House website also described him as an eccentric man; one who was fascinated by both science and local folklore. He and Prince Albert would keep servants awake waiting on them as they spent the nights discussing the mysteries of the heavens. (PROSE: History of the House)

Queen Victoria thought fondly of Sir George, mentioning that he was a polymath, equally versed in science, folklore and fairytales. His son, too, spoke of his father's stories. (TV: Tooth and Claw)