Ponsonby was the orphaned daughter of an upper class family of the Irish Protestant Ascendancy. Her mother died when she was three; her father remarried, but himself died when she was seven. Her stepmother then remarried but she herself died when Ponsonby was 13. Her stepfather took no interest in the now destitute child, and she was fostered by her father's cousin, Lady Betty Fownes, although she spent most of her time at boarding school in Kilkenny.

The Fowneses were neighbors of the aristocratic Butler Family, and in spite of the age difference, Sarah fell in love with Lady Eleanor Butler (1745?-1829). The relationship was not approved of by their families, and in 1778 the two women eloped to Wales, eventually settling in Llangollen, at Pen y Maes Cottage, in 1780. Their relationship caused local curiosity but any initial hostility and gossip (they dressed in men's clothing) were soon overcome, and Butler's independent income enabled them to be local benefactors of the poor and to offer hospitality to a long succession of famous literati and others for many years, including Lord Byron, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Walter Scott, Thomas De Quincy, William Wordsworth and Robert Southey. They remained at the house, which they renamed Plas Newydd and considerably enlarged, until their deaths.

The "Ladies of Llangollen" remain two of the most famous personalities in Welsh history.

References

Mavor, Elizabeth. The Ladies of Llangollen: A Study in Romantic Friendship. (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973)
Life with the Ladies of Llangollen, compiled and edited by Elizabeth Mavor. (London: Viking, 1984)
Dictionary of National Biography
"Plas Newydd." Available at: http://www.llangollen.org.uk/pages/plas.htm
"A Journey to the Seven Wonders of Wales. 6: Llangollen Bridge." Available at: http://www.britannia.com/wales/7wonders/wonder6.html

Indexes

European
Ireland
Uk/great Britain
18th Century
19th Century
Sexuality: Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transsexuals
School-age Years, Adolescence
Orphaned (Both Parents)
Cousins, Parents' Cousins
Step-parents
Wealthy, Famous, Noble or Divine Adoptive or Foster Families
Adoptees/Fosterees from Wealthy, Famous, Noble or Divine Birth Families
Parent(s) Died, Disappeared or Became Incapacitated
Birth Sibling(s) Remained With or Returned to Birth Family