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BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ladies of Llangollen's 'symbol of love' cutlery goes to auction
A cutlery set that belonged to the Ladies of Llangollen will go under the hammer on the open market for the first time. Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby spent 50 years together in their Plas Newydd manor in Llangollen, Denbighshire, during the 18th Century, and have become one of Wales' most famous lesbian couples. The auction, which will take place on 21 August in Cambridge, is expected to attract widespread interest, according to Steve Collins of Cheffins auction house. He said it was a "privilege to be able to offer these important pieces to the market", adding the sale represented "a powerful symbol of love, legacy, and defiance that continues to resonate". The lives of the pair, also simply known as the Ladies, partially inspired the hit BBC television show Gentlemen Jack, starring Suranne Jones and Sophie with the initials of the couple, the 23-piece Harlequin cutlery set with 10 additional pieces has been given a pre-sale price of between £800 and £1, the couple's deaths, Richard Jebb bought the silver at a Plas Newydd estate auction in was a land agent of Brynkinalt Estate in Wrexham, where the Ladies were tenants before moving to Plas 200 years later, his descendant has brought the cutlery back to auction. Norena Shopland, Welsh historian and director at Draig Enfys, an organisation which collects artefacts around LGBTQ+ people and issues in Wales, stressed the importance of the historical silverware."One of the difficulties, and the reason this collection is so important, is we have little amount of things to prove same-sex relationships throughout history," she said."There is a lot of lesbian history that is written away which portrays them as 'romantic friends', and the Ladies have suffered through that for a long time."Diversity, sexual orientation and gender identity has always been there."The historian added she would "love" to see the cutlery set returned to Plas Newydd, adding "I think it belongs there"."If somebody is planning to buy it and donate it to the house that would be great." Who were the Ladies of Llangollen? Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby met in 1768 in Ireland and later formed a romantic both belonged to influential Anglo-Irish families and were highly educated and well connected, but despite their traditional aristocratic background their characters were anything but two repeatedly broke societal norms, Ms Shopland said, dressing in male clothes and in top hats, riding astride on horseback throughout the countryside and refusing expected traditions and practices like marriage."People were a bit confused as to why they were doing this, they didn't understand same-sex relationships," Ms Shopland said."With women there was much more bewilderment about it but it was generally seen as 'unnatural' and thoroughly disapproved of." According to Ms Shopland, lesbians were understood at the time as "sapphists", an outdated term derived from the Greek poet Sappho and his depictions of same-sex relationships between term reflected the negative attitudes towards lesbians at the time, where it was heavily frowned upon, the historian said. After negotiations with their families, both women finally left Ireland for Wales in 1778, and in 1780 purchased they Plas Newydd."As they travelled through Wales, they stopped at Llangollen, loved it and decided to stay there for 50 years," Ms Shopland said. During their half a century at the town their notoriety grew among locals and Georgian high society, receiving visits from esteemed figures such as Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, the Duke of Wellington, English potter Josiah Wedgwood, and William Wordsworth."They were very well-loved in the area. Everyone knew they lived together and probably suspected they were 'sapphists' but people were very fond of them."Amid their colourful life, the Ladies' lifelong love for each other remained. They lived together, exchanged gifts of affection and wrote to each other often."You only have to read their letters. They talk about 'my beloved' and they were very, very affectionate towards each other," Ms Shopland 2 June 1829, Eleanor Butler died at the age of 90. Sarah Ponsonby died two years later aged 76. They are buried together in Llangollen at St Collen's Church, along with their housekeeper and friend, Mary Carryl.
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
'Ladies of Llangollen' cutlery to go to Cambridge auction
The set will be sold at Cheffins' Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Wine Sale on August 21, with an estimated value of £800 to £1,200. The Ladies of Llangollen, Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, were an aristocratic Irish couple who captured the imagination of Regency-era Britain through their lifelong partnership, defying social conventions and sparking intrigue across the country Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, the Ladies of Llangollen (Image: Julia Skupny and Cheffins Fine Art) Steven Collins, head of jewellery, silver and watches at Cheffins, said: "The Ladies of Llangollen's unconventional relationship captured Georgian imagination. "This is a tale of true romance, where against all odds, two women broke through societal norms to live together in what is now one of the most fascinating museums in the UK. "These items come with a cast-iron provenance, having been bought directly from the estate and then handed down through the generations. "Also, the fact that each of the pieces is marked with the Ladies' iconic joint initials helps to make this lot incredibly desirable. "Having never appeared on the open market before, I am confident that they will be of great interest to fans of Regency history and also cultural institutions throughout the UK. "It is a privilege to be able to offer these important pieces to the market, and this sale represents a chance to acquire not just fine Georgian silverware, but a powerful symbol of love, legacy, and defiance that continues to resonate nearly 250 years later." The 23-piece harlequin silver cutlery set, accompanied by ten additional pieces, is engraved with the initials of both women. The set was used at Plas Newydd, their gothic-style home in Llangollen, Wales, and is being offered for sale by a descendant of Richard Jebb. Mr Jebb, who lived in Chirk and served as land agent to the Trevor family at Brynkinalt Estate, purchased the silver at the 1832 Plas Newydd estate auction following the death of the Ladies. Lady Butler and Ms Ponsonby met in 1768 and soon formed a close romantic bond. In 1778, they fled their homes in County Kilkenny, Ireland, to escape the pressures of conventional marriage, and eventually settled in Wales. They purchased Plas Newydd in 1780 and lived there together for 50 years, becoming well-known figures in Regency society. Their home attracted visits from literary and political figures including Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, the Duke of Wellington, Josiah Wedgwood, and William Wordsworth, who wrote a sonnet in their honour. The pair were known for their distinctive dress, donning black riding habits and men's top hats, which many considered eccentric. Lady Butler died on June 2, 1829, at the age of 90. Miss Ponsonby died two years later on December 9, 1831, aged 76. They are buried together at St Collen's Church in Llangollen. Today, Plas Newydd serves as a museum dedicated to their lives. The cutlery set is engraved with their joint initials, a feature found on many of their personal belongings, some of which are now part of the British Museum's collection.
Times
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Yours for £800, the lesbian cutlery inscribed with secret love notes
They were the aristocratic 18th-century lesbian couple who wore men's top hats and were among the real-life role models for the BBC's hit period drama Gentleman Jack. But the only way that Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby could publicly declare their love — at a time when lesbianism was deeply frowned upon, though not illegal — was by inscribing their silverware with their intertwined initials. Their decision to advertise their status as a couple using monogrammed tableware marked such an important turning point in queer history that two of their porcelain chocolate cups, each with a lid and two handles, are in the British Museum's collection. Now, their cutlery, 33 silver forks and spoons marked with the initial of each woman's surname, is to be sold at auction for the first time since the two women died and the contents of their 13-acre estate at Plas Newydd, near Llangollen, was sold off in 1832.
