GENERATION 1-2: The family lineage currently spans 32 generations, of which there have been approximately 36 heirs. The surname “le Strange” entered the Family in the 2nd generation, around 1100, when Roland le Strange married sole heiress Matilda, daughter and heiress of Ralph of Hunstanton.

Ralph and his wife Helewisa had suffered the loss of their two adult sons, Simon and Reginald, and so the Hunstanton inheritance passed to their eldest surviving child. All subsequent heirs—male and female alike—descend directly from Ralph of Hunstanton and Matilda.

GENERATION 3: Matilda and Roland’s eldest son, John I le Strange of Hunstanton, inherited the Norfolk estates between 1122 and 1135. By the 1150s, he had settled in Shropshire in military service, where his landed interests expanded considerably. His holdings included Hunstanton, Little Ness, Cheswardine Castle, Myddle Castle, Melverley, and Knockin, among others.

REPUTATION & THE NAME

Across the centuries, the Family maintained a reputation for loyalty to Crown and country. During the reign of Queen Victoria, Henry Styleman le Strange successfully petitioned for the reinstatement of the historic “le Strange” surname. It had been lost when his aged Great-Grandmother of 71 yrs of age, briefly and perhaps unexpectedly, became heiress in 1762. This 18th Century heiress held the Estate for 6 yrs before passing away. Her married name was Styleman, he maiden name, ‘le Strange’. The restoration of the original surname was thus granted during Henry’s lifetime, after it slipped away from the Seat of le Strange, for a good few decades!

SOME FAMILY MEMBERS

Beyond their military service, the le Strange heirs of Hunstanton Hall served in varied roles: as sheriffs, magistrates, local peacekeepers, clergy, farmers, musicians, and entrepreneurs. The Hall itself likely accommodated a small court or jury room for local administration. Two members of the family served as Esquires of the Body to Henry VII of England and Henry VIII—a position of exceptional trust, granting intimate access to the monarch’s private apartments.

TUDOR ERA: Sir Thomas le Strange (d. 1545) sat for Hans Holbein the Younger; the work remains within the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. He succeeded his uncle, Sir Roger le Strange (d. 1509), who had served Henry VII. Sir Roger’s tomb, marked by its monumental brass, remains inside St Mary the Virgin Church, Old Hunstanton, close to the ancestral Hall.

VICTORIAN ERA: In the 19th century, Henry Styleman le Strange—artist and entrepreneur—transformed Hunstanton into a Victorian seaside resort, introducing rail access and developing hospitality in the town. He also reinstated the “le Strange” surname after his great-grandmother, Armine le Strange (1691–1768), briefly inherited the estate at the age of 71 following her brother’s death in 1762. Her marriage to Nicholas Styleman of Snettisham accounts for the temporary adoption of the Styleman name.

Henry’s son and heir, Hamon le Strange (d. 1916), authored The le Strange Records and continued expanding the town. Hotels such as the Sandringham and the Glebe were built in the early 20th century, though they were later destroyed in 1963. In recognition of his achievements, a statue of Henry was erected in 2017, overlooking the town he helped to create.

CONTINUOUS PROGRESSION: Under his grandson, Bernard le Strange, further residential development took place with the creation of the Cliff Estate. Building plots were first sold in 1937, followed by additional sales in 1949—the same year Bernard sold the ancestral home. Shortly thereafter, his marriage to Glwadys, Marchioness of Townshend of Raynham Hall, ended in separation.

Bernard le Strange is also said to have inspired aspects of Bertie Wooster, the fictional character created by P. G. Wodehouse, who was a frequent visitor to the Hall where he enjoyed writing in a punt on the moat.

Today, traces of the family’s presence remain in Hunstanton’s street names—Bernard Crescent, Austin Street, Astley and Hastings Crescent, Boston Square, and others—echoing a lineage that continues into the present generation.