Alfred Leslie Rowse CH FRSL FBA FRHistS (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.