Rare medieval manuscript fragments reveal Guernsey's lost literary history
Seventeen medieval manuscript fragments have been identified in Guernsey with support from Kent manuscript expert Dr. David Rundle, offering an unprecedented insight into the island's literary and intellectual life during a period from which almost no such evidence has survived.
Seventeen medieval manuscript fragments have been discovered in Guernsey, offering rare insights into the island's lost literary history. These fragments, identified by Dr. David Rundle and others, had been reused as covers for early modern notebooks, preserving medieval texts that would have otherwise been lost to time. Found within the Island Archives and other records, these fragments represent a significant find, as there was virtually no evidence of libraries, book collections, or literary culture on Guernsey during the medieval period.
The fragments, primarily in Latin and French, suggest that Guernsey's inhabitants were keen readers who preferred French literature over English during the late medieval period. Among the discoveries is a rare fragment of a dramatic poem called L'Estoire de Griseldis, a secular play likely written in 1395 by Philippe de Mézières.
This poem, based on a story originally told by Giovanni Boccaccio in the 14th century, is an exceptionally rare version, with only one other manuscript and two later printed editions preserving this text. The Guernsey fragment provides a unique insight into how this popular text was circulated and preserved across medieval Europe.
According to Dr. Rundle, "This collection is exciting in its variety of subjects and dates, and hints at a culture that has not even been imagined. We have already identified many of the key elements of these fragments found by the Island Archives team, but what is all the more exciting is that there is more to be discovered—and, in all likelihood, more fragments waiting to come to light."
The project has been a passion for archival assistant Callum Tostevin-Hall, who stumbled upon the reused medieval manuscript cover while researching 16th-century Guernsey records. Archivist Vikki Hart expressed delight at the discovery, stating that the fragments provide an unprecedented glimpse into Guernsey's medieval past. The fragments also highlight the role of archives and libraries in enabling new research and preserving history.
To share these discoveries with a wider audience, Island Archives is hosting an academic study day on September 10, 2026.
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