Research Notes:

BARONY OF STRANGE OF KNOKYN

JOHN LESTRANGE V, son and heir, aged 22 and more at the date of his father's death; on 16 May 1276 he had done homage, and was to have his lands. In 1277 he was going to Wales on the King's service. On 10 January 1277/8, as "the king's yeoman", he had pardon for a debt due from his father. In 1292 he established his claim to free warren in Ness, Milton and Middle. On 12 December 1276, and frequently thereafter until 1287, he was summoned to serve against the Welsh; in 1294 he was summoned to Portsmouth to cross to France; and from 1298 to 1308 he was summoned to serve against the Scots. From 26 September 1299 to 10 March 1307/8 he was summoned to Parliament by writs directed Johanni Extraneo, whereby he is held to have become LORD STRANGE, and from 4 March 1308/9 to 12 December 1309 by writs directed Johanni Lestraunge de Knokyn. His seal was appended to the Barons' Letter to the Pope, where he is described as Johannes Lestraunge dominus de Knokyn or Johannes le Straungge. On 18 January 1307/8 he was summoned to attend the Coronation of Edward II. In 1308 he obtained a licence to crenellate his house of Middle. He married, 1stly, between 13 October 1275 and 1 June 1276, Alianore daughter and heir of Eble DE MONTZ, Constable of Windsor Castle, by Joan, widow of Godfrey DE CRAUCOMBE and before this of Stephen DE SOMERY, perhaps daughter of [---] DE BECHE. She died before 14 August 1282. He married 2ndly Maud, widow of John DE STRADLING, or STRUTTELINGAS [died shortly before February 1282/3], daughter and heir of John DE WALTON, of Little Wellesborne and Walton Deyville, co. Warwick [died before 28 December 1277], by his wife Isabel. He died on or before 8 August 1309. His widow married between 30 October 1309 and 28 November 1310, as his 1st wife, Thomas DE HASTANG, of Chebsey, co. Stafford, who died in or before 1348. She died before July 1325. ²

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John Le Strange succeeded his father in the 4th Edw. I., at which time he was twenty-two years of age; and obtained livery of his lands in the 6th Edw. I. On the 28th June, 11 Edw. I. 1283, he was summoned to be at Shrewsbury on the morrow of the feast of St. Michael next following, to attend a council relative to the proceedings of Llewellyn late Prince of Wales; and in the next year answered for three hundred marks to the King which his grandfather John le Strange had borrowed of the inhabitants of Cheshire to support the Welsh wars. In the 22nd Edw. I. he was summoned to serve with horse and arms in the expedition into Gascony; and on the 26th September, 26 Edw. I. 1298, was commanded to attend at Carlisle at the ensuing Easter with his followers against the Scots. Le Strange was first summoned to parliament in December, 28th Edw. I. 1299, and in June in the next year he was at the siege of Carlaverock, when he must have been above forty-five years old. Of his retinue about that time the following record is preserved:

" Domino Johanni Extraneo, baneretto, pro vadiis suis duorum militum et vij scutiferorum; a vj die Julii, quo die equi sui fuerunt appreciati in guerra pre- dicta, usque xxiij diem Augusti, quo die recepit de exercitu Regis apud Douceur, primo die computato et non ultimo, per xlviij dies, per compotum secum factum apud Westm', mense Novembr', anno xxx. xxxvj li."

In February, 1301, Le Strange was a party to the Letter from the Barons to the Pope, in which, and on his seal affixed to that document, he is styled "Lord of Knokyn." He was again in the wars of Scotland in the 31st Edw. I.; and in the 33rd Edw. I. according to Dugdale, " was made a knight by bathing and other sacred ceremonies;" but it is almost certain that it was his son and heir apparent who then received that honour, as he attained his majority in that year. In the 1st Edw. II. he was permitted to make a castle of his house at Medle in Shropshire; and having been summoned to parliament from the 29th Dec. 28 Edw. I. 1299, to 12th Dec. 3 Edw. II. 1309, died in 1310, aged fifty-six; leaving issue by Maud, daughter and heiress of Roger de Eiville, John, his son and heir, then twenty-seven years old; a younger son, Eubolo; and a daughter, Elizabeth. Maud his widow remarried, before the 8th Edw. II., Thomas Hastang; for Hastang and the said Maud petitioned the King, stating that Lord Strange and herself had bought the marriage of the son and heir of Madok ap Griffith Maillor for their daughter Elizabeth for £50; that the lands of the said Griffith having been seized into the King's hands, he had given the custody of them to Lord Strange until the heir became of age; that after Strange's death it had pleased his Majesty to give the said lands to the custody of Sir Edward Hakebute or Hakebutel; and they prayed to have the said lands entrusted to their keeping, and also that regard should be paid to the circumstance that the children were contracted in the life-time of their fathers, and to the £50 which had been given for the said marriage. A petition on the same subject follows from Roger Mortimer of Chirk.

The Barony of Strange of Knockyn was vested in the male descendants of this Baron until 1477.... ³

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Inquisition Post Mortem

211. JOHN LESTRANGE [le Estraunge, Lestraunge, le Straunge, Lettrange, Extraneus] of Knokyn.

Writ, 8 Aug. 3 Edw. II. [1309]

WARWICK. Inq. 25 Sept. 3 Edw. II.

Walton Deyvile. The manor held, as of the inheritance of Maud his wife, of the earl of Warwick by knight’s service.

GLOUCESTER. Inq. 5 Oct. 3 Edw. II.

Schenyndon. A messuage, 3 virgates land, and 5a. meadow, held of the same inheritance, of the heirs of John le Soor by service of 1d. yearly.

CAMBRIDGE. Inq. 7 Oct. 3 Edw. II.

Midilton. The manor (extent given), held jointly with Maud his wife, who still survives, of the bishop of Ely by service of 2 knights’ fees, and a pair of gilt spurs or 6d. yearly.
John his son, aged 27 and more, is his next heir.

OXFORD. Inq. 3 April, 3 Edw. II.

Alcrynton. The manor (extent given), held of the same inheritance, of John de Lodbrok by service of 1d. yearly.

Writ, 8 Sept. 3 Edw. II. Endorsed Salop.

SALOP. Inq. Saturday the eve of St. Matthew, 3 Edw. II. (defective.)

Kynton and Nesse. The manors (extents given), including lands, &c., in Weston, the hamlet of Wyvel (ecote) ……. Hopton and Olreton, members of Kynton and Nesse, held of the king in chief by service of 1 knight’s fee.
Mudle. The manor (extent given), held of Edmund (Fitz Alan) ……. of 1 knight.
Heir as above ………. at Whitsunday last.

C. Edw. II. File 16. (6.) ⁴