Anne, Lady Southwell

22 August 1574 - 02 October 1636

ALS , who lived in the later-sixteenth and earlier-seventeenth centuries in England and in Protestant, colonial Ireland, left a commonplace-book containing a collection of her own remarkable poems as well as a few letters, aphorisms, poems by others, financial records, and inventories. At least one prose piece and a couple of poems survive elsewhere. Southwell used writing instrumentally, to maintain her contacts and further her husbands' careers; she also used poetry to work through her religious feelings and philosophical positions, and clearly dreamed of poetic fame or at least recognition.

Milestones

Before 22 August 1574

Anne Harris (later ALS ) was born at Cornworthy Priory in Devon, the eldest in a family of four. This was the day of her baptism in Cornworthy church.

Matthew, Henry Colin Gray et al., editors. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/.

Hasler, P. W., editor. “The House of Commons 1558-1603”. The History of Parliament.

2 December 1626

This date heads The workes of the Lady Ann Sothwell, which stands first in ALS 's so-called commonplace-book, the collection assembled by herself and her second husband , of poems (by her and others), letters, maxims, and notes, primarily religious in tone.

Anne, Lady Southwell,. The Southwell-Sibthorpe Commonplace Book. Editor Klene, Jean, Renaissance English Text Society.

2 October 1636

ALS died at her home in Acton, aged sixty-two, leaving her second husband to mourn her.

Matthew, Henry Colin Gray et al., editors. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/.

1997

ALS 's commonplace-book was edited by Jean Klene for the Renaissance English Text Society as The Southwell-Sibthorpe Commonplace Book. Folger MS. V.b.198.

OCLC WorldCat. http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/content/worldcat/. Accessed 1999.

Biography

This form of her name is not correct: only daughters of earls and higher ranks had the courtesy title Lady affixed to their Christian name; being titled from her husband, she was Lady Southwell. But the other form's currency is not surprising, given that her name is written at the head of her own commonplace-book as Lady Ann Sothwell [sic].