John Le Strange (IV) did homage for his father's lands at Westminster on March 25, 1269; he must have been upwards of forty years of age. Between 1262 and 1267 he had been enfeoffed by his father in Rowelton and Elleworthyn, and within the same period John the younger gave the said tenements to his brother Robert....
Eyton quotes from the Salop Chartulary a charter, which he takes to have passed about 1269, whereby John le Strange (IV) granted to Shrewsbury Abbey his mill of Platte, and all suit of his men thereto in his manors of Ruyton, Middle, Ness, Hopton, and Kinton : this grant was made in order that the monks of Shrewsbury might celebrate Mass daily for the souls of himself, his heirs, his ancestors,and successors. In the same charter he mentions that a second mill, situated in his park of Ruyton, had been given to the abbot of Haughmond. Another undated deed in the chartulary of this abbey shows that a third mill, called the Heath Mill, was also given to it by John (IV)....
Eyton further cites a deed of the same benefactor, dated in 1272, by which he gave to Haughmond Abbey one acre of his own demesne in Ruyton, and the advowson of the church thereof.... he [also] gave to it the whole land of Caldecote, a member of his home manor of Knockyn....
The latest date on which [the author found] proof that John le Strange was alive is May 23, 1275, on which day he released and quitclaimed to his brother Robert all his right in the manor of Wrockwardine by deed dated at 'Le Knokyn' on Ascension Day, 3 Edw. I. He must have died before November 20 following, as the Hundred Rolls of 3 Edw. I, which regnal year ended on that day, contain an inquisition held in the Hundred of Smethedon, whereat the jurors found that, on the death of John le Strange, the manor of Hunstanton, though not held in capite, was taken into the King's hands, and that the escheator levied from it one hundred shillings, and a horse worth twenty shillings. John le Strange can only have been about forty-five years old at this time; the cause of his death at so early an age is given by the subjoined entry in the bailiffs' account of Shrewsbury, which shows that he was drowned in the Severn:
ii septimanas post Epiphaniam Domini anno quarto [January, 1276] Md. quod Petrus Gerard et Rogerus Pride, Coronatores villæ Salop solverunt ad scaccarium pro equo domini Johannis Extranei submersi xxs.
.... It means that John le Strange was drowned while on horseback, and that his horse was consequently taken as a deodand, and the coroners had to account for its value to the royal exchequer. Dr. Cowell, writing in 1607, gives the following explanation of the word in his 'Interpreter':
Deodandum is a thing given, or rather forfeited, as it were, to God, for the pacification of his wrath in case of Misadventure, whereby any Christian man cometh to a violent end, without the fault of any reasonable creature . . . to be sold and distributed to the poor, for an expiation of that dreadful event, though effected by unreasonable, yea, senseless, and inanimate Creatures. 2
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Inquisition Post Mortem
187. John L'estrange (Extraneus) alias Le Estraunge.
Writ, 26 Feb. 4 Edw. I.
Norfolk. Inq. (undated and defective.)
Hunstanton. The manor (extent given), held on one side of the water of the heirs of the earl of Arundell by service of 5 knights' fees, and on the other side of the water ... de Milham by service of 1 knight's fee.
John his son, believed to be 22 and more, is his next heir.
[Salop.] Inq. (undated.)
Kinton and Nesse. 4 carucates land, held of the king in chief by service of 1 knight.
Knokin. The manor, held of the heirs of Robert de Halhtone, service unknown.
Ruton and Mudle. The manors, held of the heirs of John son of Alan by service of 2½ knights; but Isabel late the wife of the said John son of Alan is dowered of that service.
Heir as above, aged 22½.
Writ, 26 Feb. 4 Edw. I.
[Northampton.] Inq. (undated.)
Botindone. A messuage, 1 carucate land with meadow and pasture, 10 virgates land in villenage, and 30s. 7d. and a barbed arrow of free rent, held of the heirs of Roger de Sumery through free marriage, rendering nothing.
Heir as above, his firstborn son and aged 23.
Writ, 26 Feb. 4 Edw. I.
Gloucester. Inq. (undated.)
Caumpeden. A messuage, 2 carucates arable with meadows and pastures, and in the borough of Caumpeden 23s. 11½d. rent of assize, 14 virgates and 12a. land in villenage, and his share of four mills, held of the king in chief by barony in pourparty with the heirs of Arundel; and he and his three coparceners held a fourth part of all the lands &c. which were of the earl of Arundel, but how much service pertains to his pourparty is unknown to the jury.
Heir as above.
C. Edw. I. File 14. (4.) 3
General Notes: