A. L. Rowse

Alfred Leslie Rowse (4 December 1903 – 3 October 1997) was a British historian and author, best known for his work on Elizabethan England. Born in Cornwall and raised in humble circumstances, he was encouraged to study for Oxford by fellow-Cornishman Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. He was elected a fellow of All Souls College and later appointed lecturer at Merton College. Best known of his many works was The Elizabethan Age trilogy. His work on Shakespeare included a claim to have identified the 'Dark Lady of the Sonnets' as Emilia Lanier, which attracted much interest from scholars, but also many counter-claims. Rowse was in steady demand as a lecturer in America. In the 1930’s, he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the Labour interest, though he ended as a conservative in old age.