William of Ramsey facts for kids
William of Ramsey was an English monk who lived a long time ago, in the 1200s. He was a Benedictine monk, which means he was part of a religious group that followed special rules. William was from a place called Ramsey in England, and he lived at Croyland Abbey (also known as Crowland Abbey).
He was known for writing stories about saints and other important people. He wrote these stories in Latin verse, which is like poetry. He probably used older stories that were already written down to help him. We can figure out when he lived based on what he wrote and who he dedicated his works to.
For example, in his story about Earl Waltheof, he wrote about events up to the year 1219. His story about Saint Guthlac was dedicated to Abbot Longchamp of Croyland, who was the abbot from 1191 to 1236. Also, his story about Birinus was dedicated to Peter des Roches, who was the Bishop of Winchester from 1205 to 1238. These dates help us know when William was active as a writer.
Sometimes, people have confused William of Ramsey with another person named William of Crowland. That William was an abbot of Ramsey Abbey and later of Cluny Abbey, and he died in 1179. But they were different people.
William's Writings and Poems
William of Ramsey wrote many interesting pieces. Most of his works were about the lives of saints. Here are some of the works we know he wrote:
- A poem about moving the body of Saint Guthlac.
- A story in prose (like a regular book, not poetry) about moving the body of Saint Neot.
- A prose story about Saint Waltheof. Some experts believe he wrote other works about Waltheof too.
- A story about Saint Edmund of Canterbury.
- Stories about Saint Fremund, Saint Edmund the King, and Saint Birinus.
