Family and Education

Offices Held

Bailiff, Dunwich Sept.1388-9, 1393-6, 1397-8, 1404-5, 1411-12, 1413-14.1

Biography

As bailiff, Runton made the Dunwich returns to the Parliament of 1395. He contributed 40d. to the first half of the parliamentary subsidy of 1402, when he was living in St. Peter’s parish. Later he occupied a house in St. John’s parish, being fined in the local court in 1407 for building a wall around it which encroached on the common. In April 1405, during one of his later terms as bailiff, he and other burgesses were required to enter into bonds with Thomas Mowbray, the Earl Marshal, undertaking to abide by an agreement made with Sir Roger Swillington whereby the latter recovered the marsh of ‘Kyngesholme’, situated between the ‘old haven’of Dunwich and the ‘new haven’at Walberswick, along with foreshore rights long claimed by the townspeople. In 1407 Runton brought a plea of debt in the borough court in association with Hugh Thorpe*, and also began a suit against a ‘certain Dutchman’. He attested the Dunwich returns to the Parliament of 1410 and, as bailiff again, he was responsible for those of 1411.2

Runton is not recorded after 1414, and he died before 1427.3

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: K.N. Houghton

Notes

Variants: Rougton, Rungeton.

• 1. E368/162-88.
• 2. Add. Chs. 40672-3, 40704, 40708-9, 40710, 40714-15; C219/9/11, 10/5, 6.
• 3. SC11/886. He was probably related to another Robert Runton of Dunwich, the rector of St. Mary Marisco, Norwich, who died in 1416: Norf. RO, Reg. Hyrning, f. 3.