About William Browne
Lived 1590 – 1645 (aged 54–55). William Browne was a British and English poet and writer.
William Browne was an English pastoral poet, born at Tavistock, Devon, and educated at Exeter College, Oxford; subsequently he entered the Inner Temple.
His chief works were the long poem Britannia's Pastorals (1613), and a contribution to The Shepherd's Pipe (1614). Britannia's Pastorals was never finished: in his lifetime, Books I & II were published successively in 1613 and 1616. The manuscript of Book III (unfinished) was not published until 1852. The poem is concerned with the loves and woes of Celia, Marina, etc.
To him is due the epitaph for the dowager Countess of Pembroke ("Sidney's sister, Pembroke's mother").
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Important facts
Related people
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Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped William Browne's
Frequently asked questions
Who was William Browne?
English poet (1590–1645)
When was William Browne born?
William Browne was born in 1590 in Tavistock.
When did William Browne die?
William Browne died in 1645 in Ottery St Mary.
What was William Browne's occupation?
William Browne was a poet and writer.
What nationality was William Browne?
William Browne was British and English.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: William Browne (poet)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Browne. https://biography.guide/william-browne-poet/
MLA: "William Browne." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-browne-poet/.
Chicago: "William Browne." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-browne-poet/.
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