Annie Pearson, Viscountess Cowdray, GBE (née Cass; 4 June 1860 – 15 April 1932) was an English society hostess, suffragist and philanthropist.

[18][19][20][21][22] In 1921 Lady Cowdray, as President of the National Liberal Women's Federation signed a petition pushing for a partial disarmament of England's military, though her sentiments paralleled many British citizens at the time, as a result of the hardships of WWI.

[23] In 1921, during Lady Cowdray's term as President, the Women's Liberal Federation adopted a resolution for the release of Irish prisoners that had been interned and held without trial and addressed the need to investigate the statements of authorities regarding the treatment of Irish prisoners in internment camps.

Her husband, Lord Cowdray, Weetman Pearson, also served fifteen years as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament from Colchester.

[6] Lady Cowdray suggested the idea of old age pensions to the British government around 1900, and the concept was eventually legislated.

She also instituted a system of disability pensions in England initially provided at her own expense, which were also eventually adopted by the British government.

[37][38] In November 1931, a thief broke into Lady Cowdray's home and stole £8,000 worth of jewellery from her granddaughter, Joan Pearson.

To protect it from being sold off, Lady Cowdray paid off the bank debt and gifted a large sum of money to her granddaughter Angela Pearson, the duke's mother, to set up The Blair Charitable Trust.

[40][41] Her financial contributions toward saving Blair Castle were covered on the BBC Two documentary film The Last Dukes.

On 2 June 1934, Queen Mary received £6,054 (equivalent to £543,000 in 2023) for the establishment of a memorial fund for Lady Cowdray.