Not to be confused with the Cambridge Camden Society

Cambridge Camden Society

The Cambridge Camden Society, later known as the Ecclesiological Society from 1845 when it moved to London, was a learned architectural society founded in 1839 by undergraduates at Cambridge University to promote "the study of Gothic Architecture, and of Ecclesiastical Antiques." Its activities...

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The Camden Society, named after the English antiquary

Antiquarian

An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...

 and historian William Camden

William Camden

William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...

, was founded in 1838 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books.

The original membership was 500. It reached a peak of 1250 in 1845, and began to decline thereafter. For an annual subscription (originally £1 per year), members received the Society's publications, roughly two volumes per year. The Society published some works jointly with the Early English Text Society

Early English Text Society

The Early English Text Society is an organization to reprint early English texts, especially those only available in manuscript. Most of its volumes are in Middle English and Old English...

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By the 1880s, the Camden Society was experiencing financial problems, brought about in part by a project to create a general index to its first 100 volumes. In 1896, the Society merged with the Royal Historical Society

Royal Historical Society

The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...

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External links

• Guide to the Royal Historical Society Camden series, which incorporates the Camden Society's publications, including lists of volumes published.