William B. Cornwell

William B. Cornwell
Portrait of William B. Cornwell as a young lawyer, prior to 1897.
Prosecuting Attorney for Hampshire County
In office 1892–1900
Preceded by	Robert W. Dailey, Jr.
Succeeded by	Joshua Soule Zimmerman
Personal details
Born	(1864-11-25)November 25, 1864 Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States
Died	April 8, 1926(1926-04-08) (aged 61) Romney, West Virginia, United States
Resting place	Indian Mound Cemetery, Romney, West Virginia, United States
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Nannie V. Dellinger Sophie H. Colston
Relations	Jacob H. Cornwell (father) Mary Eleanor Taylor (mother) John J. Cornwell (brother) Marshall S. Cornwell (brother) Stephen Ailes (great-nephew)
Alma mater	West Virginia University College of Law
Profession	lawyer, businessperson, newspaper editor and publisher, and railroad and timber executive

William Benjamin Cornwell (November 25, 1864 – April 8, 1926) was an American lawyer, businessperson, newspaper editor and publisher, and railroad and timber executive in the U.S. state of West Virginia. He was an older brother of writer and newspaper publisher Marshall S. Cornwell (1871–1898) and of West Virginia Governor John J. Cornwell (1867–1953).

Cornwell studied jurisprudence at the West Virginia University College of Law, and afterward began practicing law in Romney. In 1890, he and his brother, John J. Cornwell, purchased The Review and South Branch Intelligencer newspapers. Following their acquisition of the South Branch Intelligencer, they renamed the newspaper Hampshire Review. In 1900, Cornwell sold his ownership in the Hampshire Review to his brother John. While he owned the newspaper, Cornwell served as the Prosecuting Attorney for Hampshire County (1892–1900). In addition to serving as Prosecuting Attorney, he served as the Commissioner of School Lands for Hampshire County in 1900. In 1902, he relocated to Fairmont, where he engaged in the practice of law until 1910.

He and his brother, John were corporators and shareholders of the South Branch Boom and Lumber Company following its incorporation in 1901. They were also corporators and shareholders of the Potomac White Sand Company of Green Spring following its incorporation in 1902. Cornwell served as the president of the Hampshire Southern Railroad which was constructed under his leadership, beginning in June 1909, and he continued to operate it until 1911 when it was purchased by the Moorefield and Virginia Railroad Company.

Cornwell organized, and became the president of, the Winchester and Western Railroad which had been incorporated in 1916. In addition to serving as the company's president, he also served on its board of directors. In 1921, he also organized a subsidiary, Winchester Lumber Corporation, for the purpose of developing the timber resources of Hampshire and Hardy counties in West Virginia and Frederick County in Virginia. Cornwell served as the president and general manager of the Winchester Lumber Corporation. He died in 1926 in Romney, West Virginia and was interred next to his first wife Nannie and second wife Sophie at Indian Mound Cemetery.