Le Strange Descendants

If you are curious to know what happened to the descendants read on.

Hunstanton, Norfolk, Descendants

The direct Family descendants continue to this day as owners of the Hunstanton Estate. Their legacy has lasted for 939 years to date. Currently there are 32 recorded generations since Ralph fitz Herluin owner in 1086, or 31 generations from Roland le Strange of 1100’s who married into the Family and passed down his name.

The le Strange Family tombs and memorials can be found in St. Mary the Virgin Church, Hunstanton. There is also a Family burial plot in the churchyard. Although the current Church website excludes the information on the Family, it is still part and parcel of the Family legacy, and has many times been saved by the le Strange Family when financial input was required for repairs and renovation over the centuries.

Shropshire, Knockin, Descendants

The elder branch of the Family lived in Shropshire in the 12th century at their Castle in Shropshire. This is located in a small village called Knockin (Knokyn) near Oswestry; the le Strange Barony of Knockin was absorbed by a more affluent Titled Northern Family, the Stanley Earls of Derby.

By the 1540’s Knockin Castle was said to have been left in a state of ruin. This higher status included a palatial medieval residence built by the Earl in 1496. This was the original medieval Lathom House with impressive 18 towers, and a tall central tower known as Eagle Tower which will have far outweighed their older residence in Knockin.

The ‘Baron Strange’ title did not die easily either. It has outlived the ruined Castle by many centuries; It had originally fallen into obeyance in 1594 on the death of Ferdinand (13th Lord Stanley, 5th Earl Derby) whose wife, Alice Spencer of Althorpe outlived him.

This first connection with the Earldom came via the daughter of Jacquetta Woodville (sister-in-law to King Edward IV) who was the sole Heiress, Baroness Joan le Strange 1463-1514. Her Father was Baron John Le Strange, of Knockin (1444–1479) who was Knighted in Westminster Abbey at the Coronation of Edward IV. Joan married Sir George Stanley  (Earl of Derby) and was an only child.

Her parents Jaquetta and John were buried at St. John the Baptist Church, Hillingdon which contains “the oldest most celebrated memorial (CH50 brass relief carving on a slab of marble). A notice adjacent to the slab explains that the slab was once the lid to a tomb made in 1509, and which once contained John, 8th Lord Strange, Baron of Knokyn and Jacquetta his wife”.

Many will be familiar with the Woodvilles; Jacquetta’s sister was Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of Edward IV, and mother of the princes in the Tower, one of whom was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

This brings us full circle with the Shrewsbury connection; Knockin is in Shrewsbury but is near Oswestry, so its address is: Knockin, SY10 8HH (Shrewsbury postcode).