The Ladies of Llangollen

by Elizabeth Mavor

Lady Eleanor Butler, a handsome, unconventional woman, was 29 when she met Sarah Ponsonby, a sensitive, retiring girl of 13. They developed an intensely close friendship, and ten years later in 1778, to the horror of their families, the two ladies eloped. After their dramatic escape across the Irish Sea, they settled together in an idyllc cottage in Llangollen in Wales. There, amid scandal and innuendo, their unorthodox relationship blossomed, and their generous civilized and romantic way of living eventually became a legend. Their fame travelled widely: Lady Caroline Lamb and Josiah Wedgwood visited them, Wordsworth and Southey wrote poetry under their roof, and other celebrities of the day, such as the Duke of Wellington, became cherished friends. Depicting a relationship that lasted over 50 years, Elizabeth Mavor's beautifully detailed biography gives us a fascinating glimpse into the life and times of two remarkable women.

Elizabeth Mavor has written several novels, one of which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. She is married to the illustrator, Haro Hodson, has two sons and lives in Oxfordshire.