Quick Facts
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Petrus Jacobus Runckel (10 September 1822 – 15 December 1860) was a Dutch colonial government official, who made a career in the administration on the Dutch Gold Coast.
Biography
Runckel was probably born in Noordwijk-Binnen, the Netherlands to Petrus Jacobus Runckel sr. and Geertruida Catharina Escher. He was appointed assistant in the government of the Gold Coast by royal decree of 18 November 1845. After working in Elmina Castle for five years, he was appointed commandant of Fort Orange at Dutch Sekondi. In this office, he was also responsible for the Dutch gold mining enterprise in Dabokrom.
In June 1851, Runckel returned to the Netherlands on leave, to recover from illness. When he returned to the coast in August, he was appointed to the offices of bookkeeper, public prosecutor, government secretary and cashier, which made him second in command. After governor Hero Schomerus died in office, Runckel became governor ad interim. After his successor Willem George Frederik Derx arrived, Runckel returned to the Netherlands and retired from service.