Editing William Camden (section)

== Early years ==
William Camden was born in London. His father Sampson Camden was a member of The [[Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers]]. He attended [[Christ's Hospital]] and [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's School]], and in 1566 entered [[Oxford University|Oxford]] ([[Magdalen College, Oxford|Magdalen College]], [[Pembroke College, Oxford|Broadgates Hall]], and finally [[Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church]]). At Christ Church, he became acquainted with [[Philip Sidney]], who encouraged Camden's antiquarian interests. He returned to London in 1571 without a degree. In 1575, he became Usher of [[Westminster School]], a position that gave him the freedom to travel and pursue his antiquarian researches during school vacations.