Geoffrey de Runcey

Geoffrey de Runcey (1340s?–1384) was a 14th century chronicler and abbey servant who wrote a valuable, although now-incomplete journal of his travels around medieval East Anglia.

De Runcey appears to have been sent by the priory to spread the news of the death of the high abbot of Bury around the Benedictine monasteries of East Anglia, in the process coming into contact with many walks of life.

[2][3] The Chronicle is, unusually, written in late Middle English, although in a second version (B manuscript), de Runcey or another hand appears to have (poorly) translated sections into Latin for the newly chosen abbot's reading.

[1] His journal has proved particularly useful for historians researching Fen customs before Cornelius Vermuyden's great drainage scheme of the 1630s, and is notable for its whimsical, yet unusually secular outlook and lack of superstition.

[1] In particular his vivid account of stilt walkers has provided the foundation for many histories of the area: Stilltemen are yfounden inn the Fenn regionis…Althow theyye are usually triumfant, manny younge boyes are accustomed to falle manny tymes beforr theyye are trewly sucsesfull.