Within the Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds, we find three important characters that provide us with a basic, yet, explicit description of life in the abbey. Jocelin, St Edmund, and Abbot Samson, all influenced both the monastery and the community. Jocelin himself narrated the chronicle. Therefore, it is through his eyes that the events of the monastery are related. Because Jocelin was a monk in the abbey of St Edmunds, we were able to grasp the unveiling secrets behind the management of the abbey. St Edmund, although deceased, played a significant role in shaping the lives of the monks within the abbey. Abbot Samson became abbot by the election of the members of the monastery after abbot Hugh's death. He was an abbot that made sure that he had control over every activity, and his confidence led to reforms that were aimed for the betterment of the community.
Jocelin of Brokelond is the author and narrator of the chronicle who was also a monk in the monastery. Everything we know about the life in the monastery is through him. He kept an account of the events that affected the monastery. However, little is known of Jocelin himself other than what he says on his narrative. The unorganized and mysterious manner from which the loans were transacted seemed to be a subject of interest for Jocelin. He began to wonder why these transactions were never questioned. That is why he presented Abbot Samson as someone who was determined to bring some control and form of organization in the monastery. .
The presence of St Edmund in the lives of the monks was astounding. The monastery was named after him to honor his name. He played an important role in the monastery; therefore, everything was subject to his approval. The thought of his death was almost non-existent. In fact, he was thought to be immortal. Under Abbot Samson, money was collected to build and improve shrines to honor St Edmund. However, he wanted to guarantee that the shrines were to be respected and not used to repay debts.
