All of our lectures are live streamed and are open to anyone to join us online, Fellows and Non-Fellows.
To view any of our past lectures please visit our YouTube channel.
To view any of our past lectures please visit our YouTube channel.
The first history of Elizabethan England: William Camden’s Annals of the Reign of Elizabeth I
by Dr Alexandra Gajda FSA
William Camden (1551-1623) was a founding member of the Society of Antiquaries, and the most renowned English scholar of his day. 2023 will witness the 400th anniversary of his death. His Annales Rerum Anglicarum et Hibernicarum Regnante Elizabetha is one of the most valuable yet neglected sources on early modern Britain. Written in Latin and first published in two parts in 1615 and 1625, the Annals are the earliest full-scale history of Elizabeth I’s reign. They were also the single most important source in shaping the image of Elizabeth and her reign, creating a myth of Elizabeth as a Protestant heroine in the 17th century and influencing the interpretations of countless historians through succeeding centuries and into the present day. Many of what are taken to be Elizabeth’s own words are derived from Camden’s paraphrases, and the text established the reputations of leading figures of the period. The Annals have also been widely hailed as a landmark in the development of English historical writing: according to Hugh Trevor-Roper, Camden’s allegedly scrupulous use of ‘sources’ had revolutionized historical writing, placing historical studies on a ‘new basis of scientific documentation’. Yet the Annals has long been neglected – there is no modern scholarly edition – and crucial questions about its creation and authorship remain poorly understood. This is not for want of evidence: two largely complete drafts of the text exist in the British Library’s Cotton manuscripts which give exceptionally rich insights into the construction of the Annals, and Camden’s intense collaboration with other scholars, particularly his fellow Antiquarian and great friend, Sir Robert Cotton (1571-1631). Dr Gajda and Dr Younger will discuss the significance of the Annals in shaping the political history of the reign of Elizabeth I, and will discuss their new collaborative project with the British Library, which investigates the making of the Annals through a forensic investigation of Camden’s earlier drafts and other literary remains.
This event will be both in person at Burlington House and online. Please select the appropriate ticket below.
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]