Anne Cornwallis

Anne Cornwallis or Anne, countess of Argyll (1590 – 12 January 1635) was an English Roman Catholic benefactor and one time supposed author.

Life Cornwallis was probably born in Suffolk where her parents Lady Lucy and Sir William Cornwallis lived at Brome. She was the cousin of the essayist William Cornwallis.

Her name appears on an extant anthology of poems that includes poetry by Edward de Vere and William Shakespeare. Opinion once thought that she had created the anthology but it is now thought to be the work of another and her role was minor. She was his second wife and he already had one son (and heir) and six daughters.

They left Britain allegedly to "take the waters" at Spa but in 1618 Archibald Campbell converted from Presbyterianism to Anne's religion of Roman Catholicism. Archibald had surrendered his estates to his son, Archibald Campbell. As a consequence her husband was declared a traitor in Edinburgh on 16 February 1619 and banned from returning to his country. Her converted husband was very supportive of his new religion even after he could have returned without penalty in 1621. He was interested in military solutions in Ireland in 1622, but he was unable to raise an army.