The Ladies of Llangollen: A Study in Romantic Friendship

This is the life story of Sarah Ponsonby and Lady Eleanor Butler - the Ladies if Llangollen, who eloped together from their Irish homes in 1778, and settled in Llangollen, where they set up a household which was famous in their day, and ever since, as the `Ladies of Llangollen'. Mavor's work - originally published in 1971 - remains the definitive work on the subject, largely in the absence of any competitor. Mavor gives a detailed description the circumstances of the Ladies elopement, and their living arrangements at Plas Newydd in Llangollen. She situates the Ladies in the `society' of their day, to the extent that I wondered whether Mavor fancies - or wished - herself in similar circles. There are interesting questions about Sarah and Elizabeth's backgrounds (both Irish, on Protestant, one impoverished Catholic), and how far their backgrounds account for their choice of such and unconventional lifestyle, which might be better addressed by a contemporary author, with an understanding of the operation of `oppression'. On the question of whether the Ladies were lesbians, Mavor is straightforward in supporting their denial of such an accusation, and her presentation of the evidence is rather stronger than some more recent attempts to claim Sarah and Eleanor to the cause, without really considering the circumstances of their lives. However, there is room for an investigation of the subject which is more aware of recent work on the subject. The Ladies remain a fascinating and under-researched subject, and Plas Newydd is a delightful place to visit; in the absence of a new account, Mavor's work remains definative.