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Papers, 1774-1947, of Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, popularly known as the 'Ladies of Llangollen', comprising diaries and correspondence, together with related papers.

Journal of Sarah Ponsonby, 10 May-25 June 1778, entitled 'Account of a Journey in Wales perform'd in May 1778 by Two Fugitive Ladies', recounting the arrival of herself and Lady Eleanor Butler in Pembrokeshire and their subsequent travels in Wales and Shropshire, including first impressions of Llangollen (f. 11) and a watercolour view of Benton Castle signed by the Ladies (f. 1 verso).

A volume, [c. 1785], containing notes on geometry in the hand of Sarah Ponsonby.

Journal of Lady Eleanor Butler, 4 August-31 December 1807.

Eight letters, 1778, to Mrs Elinor Goddard (née Shuldham) relating to the flight to Wales of Sarah Ponsonby and Lady Eleanor Butler, together with thirty-two letters, 1781-1831, to the Ladies of Llangollen, arranged alphabetically by correspondent. The correspondents include Edmund Burke (1), 1790; Hester Lynch Piozzi (2), 1800-1801; Arthur Wellesley, first duke of Wellington (2), 1820-1829; and William Wilberforce (1), 1823.
Also included are autograph published verses by Thomas Campbell ('Stanzas to Painting', ff. 28-29) and William Wordsworth ('A stream, to mingle with your perfect Dee ...' and 'Look at the fate of summer flowers ...', ff. 95-96), all differing slightly from the published versions; a transcript of a sonnet by John Bligh, earl of Darnley (f. 19); and verse, in French, attributed to Anna Seward (f. 68).

Transcripts, [18/19 cent.], in the hand of Sarah Ponsonby, of an incomplete and apparently unpublished verse drama entitled 'Love's Frenzy, or the Garlands of the Faun', and of poems, bearing dates of composition between 1777 and 1779, some of them by the same anonymous author; illustrated with monochrome watercolour drawings, also probably by Sarah Ponsonby.

A volume containing transcripts, [c. 1805-1806], probably by Sarah Ponsonby, of letters, 1800-1804, from a traveller recounting his experiences in Jerusalem (cf. NLW MS 22981B), Moscow, India and Cairo.

A volume, 1800-1835, containing poems and quotations in English, French, German and Italian, and drawings in pencil, ink and watercolour, all in various hands, compiled for Camilla Blachford, apparently sister-in-law of the poet Mary Tighe, and distantly related to Sarah Ponsonby. The poetry includes autograph poems by Mary Tighe ('A faithful friend is the medicine of life', f. 2 recto-verso) and Thomas Moore ('Love's Album, to Mrs Blachford', ff. 70-71 verso), both containing variants to the published versions.

A volume, 1803-1859, containing verse and prose in English, French and Italian, mainly dedicated to Caroline Hamilton (née Tighe, d. 1861) of Hamwood, in various hands including those of members of the families of Hamilton, Tighe and Fitzgerald, as well as transcripts and watercolour decorations by Sarah Ponsonby, among them being two views of Plasnewydd (ff. 35, 39). The poetry includes an autograph unfinished poem by Thomas Moore, differing from the published version ('Tell me the witching tale again ...', ff. 3-4), an autograph, apparently unpublished poem by Mary Tighe ('Though Genius and Fancy hereafter may trace ...', f. 7 recto-verso), and two autograph published poems by Mrs Felicia Hemans (ff. 48 verso-49).

Letters, 1929-1947, mainly to Mrs Eva Mary Bell, relating chiefly to her book, The Hamwood Papers (London, 1930), with copy and draft letters from her, and miscellaneous family letters; together with a typescript synopsis of the book, a typescript radio script on the Ladies of Llangollen, and related notes.

A volume containing a transcript, [1872x1880], of NLW MS 22995B, in the same unidentified hand as NLW MSS 22978B and 22994B, with a few annotations in the hand of Charles William Hamilton.

Diary of Lady Eleanor Butler for 1784, including comments on the weather, visitors, letters received and books acquired and read.

Commonplace book of Sarah Ponsonby, 1785-1789, including gardening notes; verse in French, Italian and English; sketches and designs; ground floor plan of Plasnewydd (f. 41); expenses of building the dairy (ff. 2-3); and miscellaneous notes.

Journal of Lady Eleanor Butler, 1 January-27 March 1802, including a list of visitors to Plasnewydd, medical recipes and a book-list.

Transcripts, [1872x1880], in an unidentified hand (see also NLW MSS 22994B, 22996B) of twelve letters, April-November 1798, to Sarah Ponsonby from her second cousin Sarah Tighe (née Fownes) in Ireland, containing news of the progress of the Wexford Rebellion.

A volume, [c. 1823], in an unidentified hand containing a tale in French entitled 'Histoire Tragique d'un Père de la Trappe'.

Vouchers, 1832-1833, for bills paid, following the death of Sarah Ponsonby in 1831, by Charles Hamilton (1772-1857) of Hamwood and his second son, William Tighe Hamilton (b. 1807), as her executors; together with brief notes, watermark, 1870, on the Ladies of Llangollen, and extracts from their diaries, in the hand of Charles William Hamilton (1802-1880), eldest son of Charles and Caroline Hamilton.

Journal, 1774-1778, of Elinor Goddard (née Shuldham, referred to as Lucy Goddard in Eva Mary Bell's The Hamwood Papers), recording mainly events of personal interest, including the attempts by Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby to escape from their homes in Ireland during April 1778 (ff. 56-60).

Journal of Lady Eleanor Butler, January 1788-January 1791, chiefly recording details of the weather, visitors, books read, correspondence and local events.

A catalogue, 1792, probably in the hand of Sarah Ponsonby, of books at Plasnewydd belonging to her and to Lady Eleanor Butler, comprising both a subject classification (ff. 3-92) and location list (ff. 93-131).