Could the names Roland, Riwallon, Hamon and Barbota preserve clues to the Breton origins of the le Strange family? Medieval charters reveal striking patterns of recycled family names among the aristocratic families of Alet, Dol and Combourg — the same Breton world associated with Alan fitz Flaald and the mysterious Riuallonus Extraneus. Following the evidence of medieval charters and modern scholarship, we explore whether these recurring names offer another glimpse into the origins of the first le Stranges in England.

Before the le Stranges became powerful Marcher lords, their story belonged to East Anglia. Meet Matilda, heiress of lands at Hunstanton and Barnham, whose marriage to Roland le Strange helped establish an historic Family. From her intriguing le Brun name to the estates she inherited, we explore the world, upbringing and connections of this remarkable early twelfth-century noblewoman.

A closer look at the original Domesday Book entries raises an intriguing possibility: was Ralph fitz Herluin — Ralph of Hunstanton — a considerably greater Norfolk landholder than previously recognised? Different scribal hands, variations between Radulfus and Ranulf, and a striking network of estates held beneath Reginald fitz Ivo suggest that lands now attributed to different men may deserve another look at how many scribes were used in the entries. At Haveringland, the puzzle becomes particularly compelling, while an unidentified Ralph at Titchwell provides another tantalising clue — especially as Titchwell later belonged to the le Strange family.