The Ladies of Llangollen

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Lady Eleanor Butler and Sara (sometimes spelled Sarah) Ponsonby

(11 May 1739 – 2 June 1829) and (11 May 1739 – 2 June 1829) 

The "Ladies of Llangollen", Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, were two upper-class Irish women who lived together as a couple. Their relationship scandalised and fascinated their contemporaries. The pair moved to a Gothic house in Llangollen, North Wales, in 1780 after leaving Ireland to escape the social pressures of conventional marriages.

Butler and Ponsonby lived together for 50 years. Their books and glassware carried both sets of initials and their letters were jointly signed. Towards the end of their lives, they both dressed in black riding habits and men's top hats; some visitors thought it was eccentric and outdated – especially the hair powder – but neighbours thought the clothes were practical for living outdoors.

Rumours that they were in a sexual relationship floated around during and after their lives. In 1791, a magazine described them and implied that they were in a sexual relationship. According to Patricia Hampl, they were appalled by this idea, and objected to the magazine's characterisation to the point of consulting Edmund Burke over the possibility of suing the magazine for libel.

Eugene Coyle recounts that a "succession of their pet dogs were named 'Sappho'."

Introduction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_of_Llangollen

Image is by James Henry Lynch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_of_Llangollen