KNOCKIN VILLAGE

12th Century

THE PASSAGE OF TIME

Across twelve generations, the 15 Lords Strange of Knockin achieved something few Marcher dynasties managed: an extraordinary succession of fifteen male heirs, preserving both title and influence through centuries of border conflict, political upheaval, and dynastic uncertainty. Their endurance set them apart from many neighbouring Marcher families, including the once-powerful FitzWarin lords of Whitchurch (Blancminster), whose fortunes faded long before lands and influence passed into le Strange hands during the thirteenth century.

Yet history was changing. As the Tudor age dawned, the rugged world of the Marcher lords — forged in castles, feudal loyalties, and frontier skirmishes — began to give way to something altogether different. Power was shifting from fortified strongholds to grand country houses and proximity to court. While the le Strange family in this region adapted to life in larger, more modern residences, their relatives at Hunstanton in Norfolk remained likewise, firmly within the orbit of royal favour, continuing to move with ease in the company of kings.

But what if we were to go back in time, and find out how it all began?

“To all…Ralph Lestrange sends greetings,,,. Let all of you know that I have granted….to the church of St John of Haughmond, and the canons…and my successors, the right of patronage of the chapel of Knockin forever….'“ DATED: c.1179-1195 [Ralph le Strange d.1195 Haughmond Chartulary No: 666]

“To all….John Lestrange sends greetings. Know that I have given and granted to..the canons of Haughmond (Abbey),…the whole 4th part of the vill of Cheswardine, with all its appurtenances… and the whole land of Norslepe (North Slope) with the upper fishpond next to my castle of Knockin, ..for them to exchange the said land of Norslepe at their pleasure ..without challenge from me or my heirs.” DATED: 1209[1209 From John le Strange II (No’s: 1178-1234) [Haughmond Chartulary]

THE 2 BROTHERS

HAMON LE STRANGE (1155 -1160)

GUY LE STRANGE 1160 -1179

In the year 1155, winds of change swept across the borders of Shropshire and Wales. England was emerging from decades of unrest, and a young King Henry II—only twenty-one years old—was determined to reclaim his kingdom from the chaos left behind by civil war.

Among the men he trusted stood a Breton knight named Hamon le Strange, the second son of Roland & Matilda le Strange of Hunstanton. Hamon was not yet one of the great magnates of the realm, but he belonged to a family whose loyalty had survived the dangerous reign of King Stephen — nearly twenty years of uncertainty, shifting allegiances, and broken authority.

Before Henry II had even claimed the throne, while still Prince Henry Plantagenet, he had already begun rewarding the men who remained faithful to his cause. Hamon le Strange was one of them.

Hamon’s first known reward from the Prince, came a year prior, with lands in Wellington where once stood a timber castle — situated also in the region of Shropshire. It was worth the considerable sum of seven pounds a year — a valuable estate in an age when wealth was measured in fields, mills, livestock, and armed men. Later, this holding was exchanged for Cheswardine Castle worth £4, but still strategically important.

But it was another grant, given in 1155, that would shape the future of the le Strange family for centuries.

While Henry entrusted Hamon with the manor of Osbaston, later known as Knockin, his other 3 brothers John, Guy, and Ralph, were also furnished with lands in Shropshire.

Already the Family had a continuing connection with the Marcher magnates, the Fitz Alans from the French Borders, extending to Norfolk.

Osbaston, may have been little more than a farming settlement scattered across the border countryside, yet this was no ordinary village. The lands lay deep within the volatile frontier known as the Marches. It was where Norman lords ruled their domains with powers almost equal to Kings. Their responsibilities were huge. Whoever controlled these lands controlled roads, trade, military movement, and the uneasy boundary between England and Wales.

Remaining in the King’s favour was imperative in maintaining status. Nearly a century had passed since the Norman Conquest, and the le Stranges ambitions matched this. The presence of the previous Haughton family lingered in the fields and farmsteads of Osbaston. But now Hamon had arrived, and a new order was taking shape.

The estate itself was held under the mighty William FitzAlan, Sheriff of Shropshire, now head of the powerful family. . Both the le Stranges and Fitz Alans traced their origins to the same Breton region around Dol-de-Bretagne in France. Before the conquest of England, the Fitz Alan ancestor, Alan fitz Flaald, had earned good reputation as a specialist in frontier warfare and border defence.

Now, decades later, a generation on, those same skills were needed in the turbulent English Borders, and to help funding, Haughmond Abbey, in Shrewsbury, was developed by William, and was to became instrumental to the Shropshire cause. John grant hunstanton to haughmond. c.1172-74

So Hamon le Strange took possession of Osbaston under the authority of the fitz Alans, establishing the le Strange foothold in Knockin. It was a frontier of shifting loyalties, occasional raids, and military tension,. Yet it was also a fertile land of opportunity.

From the modest farmlands of Osbaston would rise one of the most important Marcher lordships in the region.

In time, Osbaston would become Knockin Castle — caput of the le Strange barony, guardian of the border, and a stronghold whose story would echo through rebellion, war, and centuries of history and family involvement spanning centuries.

But only four years into Hamon’s Lordship of Osbaston, a shadow seems to have fallen over the Lord’s household.

By autumn 1159, the records hint that something was wrong.

Hamon himself appears less frequently, while his elder brother, John le Strange I, stepped forward to witness charters and oversee matters connected to the family estates. In an age when written records were sparse, such quiet changes often spoke volumes. Illness could descend quickly in the twelfth century, and even a lord entrusted with frontier lands by the King himself was never far from mortality. Within six months, Hamon le Strange was dead.

His passing in 1160 came at a moment of profound upheaval across Shropshire and the Welsh Marches. Old powers were fading almost simultaneously, with the demise of Welsh ruler Madog ap Maredudd (Meredith) a few miles away. The le Stranges were men shaped by civil war, shifting loyalties, and the harsh realities of border life, and when William fitz Alan lay dying, two brothers of Hamon, John le Strange I and Guy le Strange, were there present at the bedside of their old comrade. Such an intimate detail speaks of a relationship built over decades — one forged in military service, landholding, and mutual dependence in an unstable world, when loyalty was what they most relied upon.

THE BROTHERS: JOHN & GUY LE STRANGE

John, the eldest succeeded his father, Roland le Strange of Hunstanton, but was also by this time, neighbouring Osbaston, at Ness including Ruyton. He succeeded Hamon’s seat of Cheswardine Castle, retaining his others, while the younger brother, Guy le Strange succeeded to Osbaston.

The two brothers were not only close in nature, but were also held neigbouring estates. After Hamon’s death, they are invariably active business partners, and their names appear inseparable.

Guy was the 3rd son of Roland. Yet his efforts were evident, when ambitions flourished. Following the death of their comrade and overlord, William Fitz Alan, the King had appointed Guy to succeed him as Sheriff of Shropshire and Warden of the Town of Oswestry.

This role was a temporary one until William’s son became of age in 1175. While Guy was keeper of Bridgenorth and Shrewsbury Castles, and maintained them for their use as garrisons, prisons, and royal residence. He will have been aware of such responsibility as this was one of the most important Offices in the entire County, carrying military, judicial, and administrative authority across one of the most volatile regions in England.

When the King allowed Guy control over the entire area of Shropshire, the Osbaston settlement was in effect directly placed directly in Guy’s hands as the King’s chief local officer — a practical and strategic decision at a time when the borders demanded constant vigilance.

The settlement was likely still a collection of farmsteads and manorial lands clustered along the frontier route. Yet its importance grew.

Positioned within the Marches, it sat in territory where Norman lords ruled with exceptional freedom, and for Guy le Strange military readiness was essential for survival.

There were infact four brothers, John I, Hamon, Guy, and Ralph, who came to Shropshire, having survived Norfolk in turbulent times. By 1135, their parents had passed, yet it seems that Hamon’s death hints of a life cut short.

John had by that time (1106) remained in active service since 1138 when he participated in witnessing charters for the locally evolving Haughmond Abbey, connected with William.

In those years while William fitz Alan II was growing up, not yet of age, Guy’s platform and Haughmond Abbey….???? what happened between 1160-1165 and 1170-1175? Guy’s authority we find eclesiastical elesimoney grants: In that same year of 1172, John made additional grants of land to Haughmond Abbey, followed by a final gift in 1177, shortly before his death about 1178 - early 1179. Such benefactions would, by monastic custom, have secured burial rights within the church of the Abbey

, and went on to live for another eighteen years following Hamon’s death. It is therefore plausible for his birth to have been about 1117 making him at least of age (21 yrs) in 1138. From this basis, one can imagine the brothers as seasoned frontier knights, perhaps in their thirties or forties when Hamon died.

FOUNDER, GUY LE STRANGE 1160 -1179

Guy le Strange and the Founding of Knockin Castle

Guy le Strange is remembered as the true founder of Knockin Castle.

During the years following 1160, Knockin rose dramatically in importance. Positioned along important travelling routes between England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, the settlement became a critical frontier stronghold.

Sometime during Guy’s lordship, the first proper castle emerged.

The site was ideally placed. Its lowland views stretched deep into Wales, while nearby castles formed part of a coordinated defensive network across the Marches. The castle’s moat was fed by water diverted from springs nearly two miles away — a remarkable feat of medieval engineering.

As the castle grew in prominence, the old name Osbaston gradually faded. The fortress itself gave its identity to the surrounding settlement.

Knockin had been born.

Guy’s position as Sheriff of Shropshire gave him enormous authority. He collected taxes, oversaw royal justice, controlled military readiness, and maintained order in one of the kingdom’s most unstable regions. Under his leadership, Knockin became far more than a farming manor — it became a marcher lordship.

The farmland had a practical use, as well as providing access along the dusty road track into the nearest market town of Oswestry, and beyond to Scotland and Ireland.

Curiously, Guy’s career included a five-year interruption between 1165 and 1170, when his authority as Sheriff temporarily lapsed following the remarriage of William fitz Alan’s widow, Isabel de Say to Geoffrey de Vere, a marriage that shifted parts of the FitzAlan inheritance and administration. Yet Osbaston may have remained Guy’s inheritance. Rather than weakening his position, this interval may have given him something increasingly rare for a royal frontier officer: time.

It is tempting to imagine that during his years out of Office, which may also include 1175-1179 when William’s son succeeded to the his rightful governance over Shropshire, could have freed Guy to establish the stronghold that would transform the settlement forever. Between 1165-1170 and 1170-1175 he had been busy maintaining law and order, collecting taxes, managing royal estates, and presiding over local courts. But there were 9 years that were free of this role during his lifetime.

With commanding views toward Wales and positioned within a chain of signalling castles at Oswestry, Ness, and Shrawardine, Knockin quickly became part of the frontier communication network of the Marches.

Guy appears to have been married twice, - his 2nd wife was called Mary. It is accepted that his children were offspring from his 1st marriage, whose name we do not know.

Guy had 3 sons, and many nephews. It is traditionally accepted that Guy’s eldest Son, Ralph who succeeded him as Lord of Knockin, was founder of the Church of St. Mary which still stands in use today.

pmr caveat:

The Latin translations are perfect I also agree totally with your reasoning about the earlier date of the grant - much more realistic.  I realise you want Knockin as a Lestrange foundation, but I would add something along the lines of the following caveat...

The grant does not mention any rebuilding or expansion, therefore that probably did not happen.  This was simply a grant.  Further the architectural details of the church could well be much older than Lestrange involvement.  All architectural dating is subjective unless there is a foundation inscription or similar detail - therefore the masonry Knockin church 'could' be pre 1066 rather than 1190s.  There is no definitive proof either way and either is just as likely if the 'opinions' of architectural historians, who build fantasy upon fantasy as if it were truth, is stripped away.

Here I will bring controversy to the table which many may not enjoy. I ask - Did Guy le Strange Found the Chapel of Knockin?

The surviving charter by which Ralph le Strange granted the advowson of the chapel of Knockin to Haughmond Abbey may preserve an important clue about the origins of St Mary’s Church, Knockin itself. Although traditionally dated to c. 1190–1195, the evidence suggests that both the chapel and Ralph’s grant may belong to an earlier phase of Le Strange lordship—one that begins not with Ralph, but with his father, Guy le Strange.

Guy stands at the heart of the family’s rise at Knockin. Following the consolidation of royal authority under Henry II, Guy received the manor of Alveley around 1155, and by the middle decades of the twelfth century the Le Stranges had firmly established themselves at Knockin Castle, where they emerged as one of the most important marcher families on the Welsh border. For a lord securing a new seat of power, the establishment of a chapel was both practical and expected. A castle and manor required spiritual provision for the lord’s household, retainers, and tenants, while the founding of a chapel also reinforced status, authority, and dynastic permanence.

This possibility becomes especially significant when Ralph’s charter is examined closely. Ralph did not claim to found a chapel at Knockin; rather, he granted:

ius patronatus capelle de Knokin
“the right of patronage of the chapel of Knockin.”

In medieval terms, this meant the advowson—the hereditary right to appoint the priest when the benefice fell vacant. Such a right normally belonged to the founder of a church or chapel and passed with lordship from one generation to the next. Ralph’s charter therefore strongly implies that the chapel already existed and that he had inherited, rather than created, its patronage.

If the chapel pre-dated Ralph, and if it was founded by the Family, then Guy le Strange emerges as the most plausible founder because he established the family’s position at Knockin during the 1150s–1170s. Therefore Guy, the Sheriff of Shropshire was the sort of marcher lord who would have stamped their pious authority on the landscape. His second wife was Mary.

The surviving Norman fabric of St Mary’s, Knockin, usually assigned to the later twelfth century, sits comfortably within this context. Rather than marking this as the Church’s first appearance, the surviving architecture may represent the rebuilding or enlargement of an earlier chapel possibly established during Guy’s lifetime or even before.

NB: As the grant does not mention any rebuilding or expansion of the Church, probably it did not happen.  This was simply a grant.  Further, the architectural details of the church could well be much older than Lestrange involvement.  Architectural dating is subjective — unless there is a foundation inscription or similar detail— therefore it is not impossible that the masonry of Knockin church 'could' pre - date 1066 rather than 1190s.  including what appears to be a Roman pillar made into a font,

The dating of Ralph’s grant may also support this interpretation. Earlier historians placed the charter close to Ralph’s death in 1195–96, largely because William le Strange, one of the witnesses, was thought too young to have appeared before around 1190. Yet this William was no obscure younger relative. He was William le Strange, brother of John le Strange II and cousin of Ralph, a cleric whose career is better documented than once assumed. In 1221, William was recorded as holding the church of Alveley, having been presented to it by Henry II before the king’s death in 1189, meaning William must already have attained clerical maturity by that time. More importantly, he appears as “Master William le Strange” witnessing a charter of his brother John around 1178, strongly suggesting he was already an established cleric by the late 1170s.

This evidence undermines the argument that Ralph’s charter must date from the 1190s. William could easily have witnessed the document much earlier, making an earlier date entirely plausible.

Indeed, the wording of Ralph’s grant may point toward a more immediate explanation. Ralph gives the chapel to Haughmond:

pro animabus patris mei et antecessorum meorum
“for the souls of my father and my ancestors.”

The emphasis on “the soul of my father” is striking. In twelfth-century aristocratic society, one of the most common moments for making religious gifts was immediately following the death of a parent, particularly a father. Heirs frequently granted churches, lands, or advowsons to monasteries to secure perpetual prayers for the deceased at the moment of succession.

If Guy le Strange died around 1179, then Ralph’s charter begins to make particular sense. Rather than a late act of piety made near Ralph’s own death, the donation may instead represent a memorial gift made shortly after Guy’s passing, when Ralph inherited both lordship and the patronage of Knockin chapel. In that case, a date of approximately 1179–1183 seems considerably more persuasive than the conventional 1190–1195.

Such a reconstruction cannot be proven with certainty, but it offers an appealing and historically coherent possibility: that Guy le Strange founded the original chapel of Knockin during the formative years of Le Strange lordship, and that Ralph later entrusted its patronage to Haughmond Abbey in memory of his father and for the salvation of the family line.

RALPH LE STRANGE 1179-c.1195

Ralph le Strange succeeded his Father, Guy le Strange in 1179. Between 1190-1195 Ralph granted the advowson of Knockin Chapel to the Clergy of Haughmond Abbey in Shrewsbury, in the presence of Jona the Chaplain of Knockin Chapel, and cousins John II, William??, and Hamon le Strange.

In a Charter (c. 1186-97) witnessed by the fitz Warin brothers of Whittington Castle nearby, a Bishop (Bishop Reiner of St Asaph) confirmed an agreement for the Parson of Knockin to have the income from all the tithes of Knockin and of the North Slope where there was a fish pond, and all other income, except burial fees and half the mortuary dues. In return he is to pay 1s to their ‘Mother’ Church of Kinnerley every year on St Bridget's day.

Witnesses: Prior of Wombridge and Runton, Abraham presbitero, Fulk Fitz Warin (1155-Sept 1198) and Richard Fitz Warin (1159-1203+) his brother, Haughmond, No.669.

C.1190-95 Ralph Lestrange (Fitz Guy, 1146-Jun 95) grants advowson of Knockin chapel, test William Fitz Alan (1175-1210), John Lestrange (1177-1233/4), William Lestrange (1170-1227, 1179-1203+), Jona the Chaplain, Hamo Lestrange (1161-1221), Roger Badger (Begeshover), Robert Estley, Roger Breton, Haughmond No.666.

Knockin Castle stood as the principal Seat of the elder branch of the le Strange family of Hunstanton. Throughout the Middle Ages from 1155 into the 15th Century it was a place deeply woven into the history of the Welsh Marches and feudal Lordships, and this is the story of the rise of one of Shropshire’s most influential medieval Families.

THE LE STRANGE LEGEND

Leland's 'Collectanea,' published in 1612, while Leland's account is derived from an English version of the French romance of Fulk fitz Warin

13th CENTURY LEGEND

A 13th-century legend written in ….language tells of 10 sons of the Duke of Brittany competing in a grand jousting tournament at Peveril Castle in Derbyshire. The event was hosted by William Peverel of Whittington, who offered a remarkable prize: the hand of his heiress niece, Melette—and her dowry of Whittington Castle and its lands in Oswestry, Shropshire.

Against all expectation, it was the youngest brother, Guarin de Metz, who emerged victorious, winning both Melette and her inheritance.

After their wedding, his nine elder brothers returned to Brittany, but Guarin remained in England. Through his own skill and ambition, he went on to acquire further lands, earning the name “Guy le Strange.”

15th/16th century the fitz alans owned Whittington castle.

Guarin de Metz is probably a legendary version of Guy le Strange—not a real separate person.

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### Why historians link them

1. The name connection

Guarin / Warin* → common Norman name

le Strange* → means “the foreigner”

👉 A man arriving from overseas could easily be remembered as both

2. The “outsider who rises” theme

* Legend: Guarin arrives from Brittany and wins land

Reality: Guy le Strange appears as a *newcomer rising through royal service**

👉 The story may preserve a distorted memory of a foreign-origin figure gaining power

3. Medieval storytelling habits

Families often *rewrote their origins** to sound more heroic

A *tournament victory and noble marriage** is far more glamorous than:

* royal appointment

* administrative service

* political manoeuvring

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### What’s probably happened

The real story:

Guy le Strange gains influence through *service to the king**

Receives land (like Knockin) through *royal favour**

The legend transforms this into:

A dramatic *tournament**

A *marriage to an heiress**

A noble continental origin (*“de Metz” / Brittany**)

---

### The likely truth

There may have been:

A *foreign (Norman/French) ancestor**

Or simply a *man seen as “the stranger” locally**

But over time, this was romanticised into Guarin de Metz, a heroic founder figure.

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### In simple terms

Guy le Strange = real historical official

Guarin de Metz = his legend, dressed up as a chivalric hero

RALPH LE STRANGE

Church with Roman Font

›THE MONUMENT

e monument has been described both as a timber and a masonry defence, occupying a low-lying position. The surviving monument measures approximately 60m by 70m at its base, and 46m by 54m across the top, rising to a decomposed height of around 4m. The main road, the former A5, built by Thomas Telford in the 19th Century, hugs the Castle’s southern side, while the leat of the Weir Brook skims the west side of the Castle mound. The leat is a more recent engineered irrigation system connecting to a water mill (which has not been located). Guy le Strange granted the use of the mill to Haughmond Abbey, “the mill was situated on Morton brook'“ (see le Strange records), and that some remains of it can still be traced where the bridge now stands”.

Archaeological surveys of the area note that the integrity of original site and it’s surrounding moat has been disturbed. The castle layout had likely changed over centuries of inhabitation by the family, with upgrades, alterations, and changes keeping up with the times, and defences required.

Over time, the site has suffered repeated disturbance: invasive landscaping took place within the East bailey during the construction of the Rectory in 1901, and as a result it is only the mound and church that remain protected monuments today.The mound and church are divided by the leat in what looks like the West Bailey. The Church of St. Mary was clearly a community church/chapel, which the monks of Haughmond Abby controlled as a subordinate of Kinnerley. The Priests door on the south wall of the Chancel is now blocked up inside, however, the external door is visible and is likely to have been positioned to face a route between castle and church for the le Strange lord or chaplain associated with the castle. A round-headed Romanesque (Norman) arch built in red sandstone with dressed ‘voussoirs’ dates it to the 12th century.

In marcher contexts, church–castle relationships were often very direct

Behind the church, the castle inner ward monument appears to rise only with non-native trees. Curiously, the rubble-like red sandstone ramparts are visible in winter (2024) when the foliage thins out.

The Church of St Mary appears almost to stand guard over the castle, displaying community purpose of it’s own. From the outer cemetary one can imagine an outer bailey, especially with the raised encirclements. At some point in the evolution of the Family castle, the village was enclosed where at a raised outline in a outside field can be detected near the houses.

while inside the castle itself, the le Strange Family likely had their own private chapel.

A walk past Knockin Castle now and analyise it’s LiDAR map, can leave one confused on it’s layout. With several centuries of alterations, renovations, and probable improvements, Knockin Castle leaves one with questions relating beyond their time into the early 20th Century when manual disruption to the landscape occurred in creation of the current onsite Rectory inside one of the outer castle Baileys.

T

The Church of St Mary was founded by 1190-1195, and referred to as the ‘new’ church a few years later, by John le Strange II, in c.1198-1200. It seems that had any renovations taken place that the The chapel displays Norman Romanesque architecture, and its dedication to St Mary matches his father’s home church at Old Hunstanton. Perhaps this was no coincidence, but a statement of family identity and continuity, or just a common trait among Christian Catholics.

he family’s religious patronage extended further. Haughmond Abbey ensured that both churches, at Hunstanton and Knockin, were staffed and maintained in return for the grants of farmland the family bestowed upon its monks and nuns. Today, Knockin Church is Grade II* listed, marking it as significantly more important than the average Grade II building.

The succession of Knockin was settled relatively early in its history. John le Strange II of Ness and Cheswardine, following his father’s path, also became Sheriff of Shropshire. In 1198, he succeeded his three co-heiress first cousins, after the inheritance of Knockin had temporarily diverted following Ralph’s death in 1195. Thus, the future of Knockin was resolved amicably within the family, preserving the estate in le Strange hands.

A defining moment came on 16 March 1218, when, at about 40 years of age, John le Strange II received a licence to fortify the manor of Knockin. This formal act legitimised the powerful le Strange seat of Knockin Castle. One cannot help but wonder whether his cousin Ralph of Knockin, who had died 23 years earlier and with whom John had shared a close relationship, would have approved. It seems likely that he would.

n 1229, John le Strange II, who inherited the Hunstanton estate under the Earls of Arundel. He had also held Knockin Castle in Shropshire for 3 decades under the Fitz Alans. Probably killed at Shrewsbury when posted as Sheriff - Llewellyn ransacked the town, set alight. 5 months after, June 21, 1234 Peace treaty signed by Henry III & Welsh Prince. Was meant to last for two years, but was extended annually

From then on, the legacy of Knockin Castle and its Chapel of St Mary passed through many generations of the family. The castle remained a symbol of le Strange authority in the Marches until the 1540s, when John Leland described it as “ruinous.” How exactly Knockin fell into ruin remains unknown.

By that time, the world around it had changed dramatically. Haughmond Abbey, where members of the family were likely buried, had itself been demolished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. Sir Thomas le Strange of Hunstanton, then a courtier and Esquire of the King, together with his younger Stanley cousin, the 11th Lord Strange of Knockin, lived through those upheavals. They would have witnessed not only the destruction of the abbey, but very likely the loss of treasured family monuments and tombs.

Yet the le Stranges remained in royal favour. Ralph le Strange, having founded Knockin Church, had also founded the Hospital of the Holy Trinity at Bridgnorth, near the River Severn bridge. The hospital offered relief to pedestrian travellers who could not afford to journey on horseback, providing shelter and assistance to those most in need. Each year, on the anniversary of its foundation, the abbot distributed 80 pence among the poor as an act of charity. Records from 1535 confirm that these annual commemorations had already been observed for over three centuries, recognised during the reign of Henry VIII. Even amid the violence and destruction of the Tudor age, the family’s legacy endured.

Knockin itself had long represented more than a manor or a castle. In 1381 Lord Roger le Strange of Knockin, Steward to Richard, Earl of Arundel died, leaving manors ie. Ness and Ellesmere, and the Castle of Knockin and it’s Demesne (Estate) to his son. It was the furthest outpost in the Marches, and it was the Family’s role in defending and defining the borders between England and Wales. The Castle monument is a reminder of the le Stranges’ determination to hold the boundary with their Motto: Mihi Parta Tuerri (I will defend what is mine), and of the remarkable medieval legacy they left behind, with the boundary being invariably unchanged.

The Barony merged with the Stanley, Earls of Derby and the Family never died out.

It has been said that the le Stranges were the greatest family ‘never’ to have received an Earldom! However, the two Branches of Hunstanton & Knockin had reached Baronial Status, when a Knockin heiress married into an Earldom—the Earls of Derby.