Camden, William (1551-1623), was an English historian. His best-known book is Britannia (1586), which was the most outstanding historical work of its time. Camden also wrote a patriotic history in Latin of the reign of Elizabeth I, Rerum Anglicarum et Hibernicarum Annales, regnante Elizabetha. The first volume was published in 1615, and the second, in 1625. In his history of Elizabeth’s reign, Camden praised the queen’s virtues and showed his support for the Protestant faith. He also wrote the official history of the Gunpowder Plot trials (see Gunpowder Plot ). Camden was born on May 2, 1551, in London. He died on Nov. 9, 1623.
