This study was started in the 1980's with my own family tree and based on work in the early late 1970s and early 1980's in Eye, Suffolk in the parish registers, and periodically since then.

In this study I am aiming to put together all of the links of all of the Runacres families to determine initially by genealogical evidence how far these families are linked together.  

Specifically, can this study establish:

1.Whether all of the Runacres descended families are related, and how closely are they related; 2.Whether the origin of the surname was actually Eye, Suffolk or another part of Suffolk nearby; 3.Whether the name has a link to the Norman lord of the manor in and around Eye.

I am also interested in the migration patterns of the families since the early 1880's and the reasons for this migration away from Suffolk, or elsewhere.

The name has many variant spellings most of which are caused by local or foreign mis-pronunciation or by scribes being unfamiliar with the surname, a situation not uncommon for many names in the British Isles.  Common variants are: Runacre, Runacus, Runacles, as well as Runnacres, Runnicles, Runicar, and many more.

This study concentrates on the main ‘Runacres’ surname and common variant Runacre.  Should there be obvious links to Runacus, and Runnicles, with or without the double ‘n’, or others, these will be added later, if you are wondering if your surname may be connected to 'Runacre(s)', then one option is to take a DNA test which may point to a link.

Runacre(s) is a surname usually regarded as originating in or around the village of Eye, Suffolk, England, it may have its origin in the landed gentry of Eye in the 12^th - 13^th centuries, it may be a name originating from a geographic location in and around Eye or elsewhere, and this study aims to narrow down its origin or origins if possible.

According to the 1881 Census there were about 145 occurrences of the main surname Runacres, although as the name was, and is, commonly misspelt there are likely to have been a few more recorded under mis-spellings that occur later under 'correct' spellings.

Over the past 200 years the families have spread ever wider from Suffolk to London, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, and then in the last century abroad to the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It will be interesting to discover how widespread these families are now.

My own family is descended from George Runacres who left Suffolk for London in the 1850s and his descendants settled eventually by the 1880’s in South London.  

Progress is still ongoing collating entries from research over the years, mainly from the Suffolk Parish Registers, entries from the Probate Registry for England and Wales from 1858 to date have been extracted, as have all entries of civil registration for Runacres and Runacre from 1837 - for England and Wales.

I have several family trees going back and forwards from Debenham, Rishangles and Eye and surrounding parishes in the 1790's and earlier, covering many of the 'Runacres' families, and am continually adding to this as my study develops.  If your family has been traced back to this area or another area, I would be interested to hear from you about your findings.

My DNA surname study will try to determine, if possible, whether a definable area or single origin for the name can be established, and whether the surviving families that bear the name or are descended from it are related in some way or have separate origins.  This study is just underway - so if you are interested in this, get in touch with me, or see the website for the project www.familytreedna.com/groups/runacres/about.  Tests can be ordered by me at a discount, or existing tests can be added to the project, get in touch with me for details.