William Browne of Tavistock
William Browne of Tavistock (circa 1591-1643) was an English pastoral poet known for his evocative verses celebrating the landscapes and history of his native Devonshire. He was born into a branch of the Browne family from Betchworth Castle, Surrey, and pursued his education in Tavistock and later at Oxford. Throughout his life, Browne had various connections with notable figures, including spending time with William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke, and serving as a tutor to Robert Dormer, the future Earl of Carnarvon. His most recognized work, "Britannia's Pastorals," was published in three books, with the first two appearing in 1613 and 1616, while the third was unearthed later and published in 1852.
Browne’s poetry reflects the pastoral tradition and is often compared to the works of Edmund Spenser and John Fletcher. Although much of his later life was marked by literary silence, he made significant contributions to the literary scene of his time, collaborating with other poets and influencing later writers. His works were first collected in 1772, with more comprehensive collections appearing in subsequent years, including a notable two-volume edition released in 1971. Browne's legacy lies not only in his own writing but also in his impact on the poetic landscape of the early 17th century.
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William Browne of Tavistock
Poet
- Born: c. 1590
- Died: c. 1645
Biography
Born around 1591 in Tavistock, Devonshire, England, William Browne of Tavistock is best known today as a minor pastoral poet whose verse often exalted his native Devonshire. He descended from a branch of the Browne family of Betchworth Castle, Surrey. After finishing grammar school in Tavistock, Browne moved to Oxford around 1603, and after a residence at Clifford’s Inn, he entered the Inner Temple in 1611.
Browne moved to Wilton, making his home with William Herbert, earl of Pembroke, for some time, and he lived in France from 1616 to 1621. In 1623, he became tutor to Robert Dormer, future earl of Carnarvon, and went with him to Eton and Oxford. At Oxford, Browne entered Exeter College in 1624 and received an M.A. degree later that year. In 1628, Browne married the daughter of Sir Thomas Eversham of Horsham, Essex, and became a pupil and friend of better-known poet Michael Drayton. Almost all of Browne’s work dates from this time or well before; the second half of his life was spent in retirement and virtual literary silence. After spending his later life near Dorking, Surrey, Browne died some time before 1645, probably in 1643. In 1645, letters of administration were granted to his widow, and there is a record of a William Browne buried in Tavistock on March 27, 1643.
Browne was known for his pastoral verses and epitaphs, but he is best remembered today for Britannia’s Pastorals, an epic-length poem published in three books, the first in 1613 and the second, dedicated to William Herbert, in 1616. Both of these books were reissued in 1625. The third book of Britannia’s Pastorals was unknown until it was discovered in the library of Salisbury Cathedral and finally published in 1852. Browne also collaborated with George Wither and other poets on The Shepherd’s Pipe, which appeared in 1614. Browne’s work has often been compared to Edmund Spenser’s epic verse and John Fletcher’s The Faithful Shepherdess (1608), but it owes its primary inspiration to his love of the landscapes and history of Devonshire.
Browne’s influence may be seen in the poetry of David Ray, Henrietta Cordelia Ray, Michael Drayton, Robert Sidney, and Sir Philip Sidney; Browne himself was influenced by Drayton and Spenser. His works were collected and published in 1772, but his miscellaneous elegies, epitaphs, and other poems were not printed together until 1815. A complete collection in two volumes, Poems of William Browne of Tavistock, was brought out in 1971.