Lady Eleanor Butler (1739–1829) and Sarah Ponsonby (1755–1831) were originally from Ireland, but having moved to North Wales in 1778, they became known as ‘the ladies of Llangollen’. They escaped Ireland dressed as men, and Eleanor in particular became known for her more masculine attire.
Llangollen is a town in Denbighshire on the River Dee in Wales, with a population of just over 3,600. Llangollen’s claims to fame include its annual Eisteddfod celebrations (a music festival that travels to different parts of Wales every summer), the stone bridge nicknamed “one of the seven wonders of Wales” and the beautiful Horseshoe Pass. The former home of the ladies of Llangollen, Plas Newydd, is also listed amongst Llangollen’s places of historic interest.
At Plas Newydd, the ladies filled their home with paintings, often of each other or their cats, and lots of drawings of Plas Newydd itself. You can still visit Plas Newydd in Llangollen today, where there is an exhibition that includes some of the ladies’ possessions. Their hot chocolate cups are even featured in the British Museum!
Anne Lister, often known as Gentleman Jack, was known to have visited Plas Newydd in 1822, and tried in vain to establish the true nature of Lady Eleanor and Sarah’s relationship. However, Lady Eleanor and Sarah were known to address each other with affection, using terms like “beloved”. The ladies of Llangollen even had a famous poet, none other than William Wordsworth, address a poem to them! They became so famous that the King (King George III) gave them a pension, and they took tea with the likes of Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, Josiah Wedgwood, Walter Scott and more. They were even admired by Queen Charlotte!
Lady Eleanor and Sarah lived together at Plas Newydd for 50 years before Eleanor’s death at the age of 90. Sarah passed away just two years later at 76. They are buried together at St Collens’ Church in Llangollen, along with their faithful and devoted maid, Mary Carryl, who is sometimes referred to as “the third lady of Llangollen”.
The fame of the ladies of Llangollen arose before the term lesbian had fully come into use. The word didn’t come into use as a term used to self-identify until the 1920s, long after the ladies of Llangollen had passed on. I have tried to respect that in this article, as no one can tell us whether Eleanor, Sarah or Mary were lesbians or not – except them.
References
https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/who-ladies-llangollen-eleanor-butler-sarah-ponsonby/
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