A. L. Rowse
A. L. Rowse was an influential British writer and historian, renowned for his expertise in Elizabethan England. Born in 1903 in Tregonissey, Cornwall, he faced a challenging upbringing in an impoverished family, where education was limited. Despite these obstacles, Rowse excelled academically, earning a scholarship to Oxford University, where he shifted his focus from literature to history. He became a prominent figure in academia, serving at institutions including Merton College and the London School of Economics, while also engaging with various universities in the United States.
Rowse published his first book in 1927 and became well-known for his autobiography and poetry centered on Cornwall, as well as his historical writings. Recognized for his sharp intellect and candid personality, he garnered numerous accolades, including the Benson Medal and the title of Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature. His legacy includes a substantial collection of writings, which the University of Exeter acquired after his death in 1997. Rowse's contributions to literature and history continue to be appreciated, particularly for their vivid portrayal of Elizabethan themes.
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Subject Terms
A. L. Rowse
Historian
- Born: December 4, 1903
- Birthplace: Tregonissey, Cornwall, England
- Died: October 3, 1997
- Place of death: St. Austell, Cornwall, England
Biography
A. L. Rowse, a writer and historian who was an authority on Elizabethan England, was born in 1903 in Tregonissey, Cornwall, England, the son of Richard Rowse, a clay miner, and Ann Vanson Rowse. The family was impoverished, Rowse’s parents were nearly illiterate, and Rowse himself struggled with poor health. However, the boy excelled at St. Austell grammar school and earned a scholarship in 1921 to Oxford University’s Christ Church College. Rowse had developed a love of poetry as a child and initially intended to study literature, but at Christ Church he studied history instead. A popular student with many friends whom he would keep throughout his life, he was known by his schoolmates for his precise language and grammar and for his comfortable openness about being gay. He graduated with high honors in 1925 and became a fellow in the All Souls’ College, the first student from a working-class family to receive this honor.
In 1927, he published his first book, On History: A Study of Present Tendencies, and began lecturing at Merton College; he completed his M.A. degree two years later. He left his lecturing position in 1930 and after an unsuccessful run in a Labour Party election, he returned to lecturing, this time at the London School of Economics. Returning to Oxford in 1935, he became subwarden of All Souls’ College but lost the election for warden in 1952.
In 1952, he traveled to the United States and was the George A. Millar Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois for one year. In 1953, he received his Ph.D. from Oxford. Rowse was the Raleigh Lecturer on History at the British Academy in 1957, and he became a fellow in the academy in 1958 while he was back in the United States as a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin. He continued to lecture at various institutions throughout the late 1960’s, including Cambridge University, McGill University, and the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. He also was a visiting professor at Lynchburg College from 1982 until 1987.
Rowse achieved fame, particularly in the United States, when the first volume of his autobiography appeared in 1942, and he was known for his wit, intelligence, and straightforward, unabashed demeanor as well as for his intellectual egotism. Of his many books, the best known are his poetry about his native Cornwall and his studies of Elizabethan England. He remained a fellow of All Souls’ College until 1974, when he became an emeritus fellow, and he was presented with several awards, including the Benson Medal of the Royal Society of Literature and the Jenner Gold Medal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, as well as various honorary degrees. The Royal Society of Literature named him a Companion of Honour in 1996. After he died in 1997, the University of Exeter, in accordance with Rowse’s bequest, obtained his extensive collection of books, personal manuscripts, diaries, and letters.