John (Strange) le Strange (abt. 1253 - 1309)

Born about 1253 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Mathilda (de Wauton) Strange — married about 1299 in England

Descendants

Died 8 Jul 1309 at about age 56 in Berwickshire, Scotland

John V Strange was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

This fifth John (his numbering as the fifth was an old tradition, and not only modern) is listed by Complete Peerage as the first Baron by Writ in the line of "Strange or Lestrange" of Knockyn:

From 26 Sep. (1299) 28 Edw. I to 10 Mar. (1307/ 8) I Edw. II he was sum. to Parl. by writs directed Johanni Extraneo, whereby he is held to have become LORD STRANGE, and from 4 Mar. (1308/9) 2 Edw. II to 12 Dec. (1309) 3 Edw. II 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.

John was 22 when his father died in 1276. He and his uncle Roger played an important part in the Welsh wars in their time. (Roger personally cut off the head of Prince Llewelyn.) He also served in Gascony under Edward Crouchback. He was also involved in the sieges of Caerlaverock and Stirling in Edward I's invasion of Scotland. Two years after the king's own death on the Scottish front, John died, apparently in Berwick.

Inquisition post mortem

Transcription:^[1]

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

Writ, 8 Aug. 3 Edw. II.

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.)

Research notes

Naming the wives of John Le Strange (V) has been a source of confusion, left open by the most well-known Le Strange authorities, Reverend Eyton, and Hamon Le Strange. But progress has been made in understanding it during the 20 century. In 1946, Cecil L'Estrange Ewen published a short note intended to cover issues not yet clear in the older authorities, the Complete Peerage seems to have followed him.

He demonstrated that the first wife of John was Alianora de Montz, daughter and heir of Eble (or Eubolo) de Montz, constable of Windsor castle. She was the mother of John le Strange VI, and also Hamo and Eble le Strange.

A confusion arises because Alianora's mother used the same name as her husband John's mother, "Joan de Someri", but they were quite different people.

A second confusion arises because with his second wife Maud de Walton, John had a second son named John, who inherited his second wife's lands in Walton d' Eiville. L' Estrange Ewen also believes that from this second marriage came Elizabeth, who married a Welsh prince.

As recently as 2014, the well known genealogist Douglas Richardson announced new findings online concerning Alianora/Eleanor the first wife's mother. Her mother Joan was already known to have been using the surname of her first husband when she was referred to as a Someri, but Richardson gave evidence that Joan's maiden name was Bohun, and that she belonged to the Bohun family of Midhurst in Sussex.

Sources

1. ↑ J E E S Sharp and A E Stamp, 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward II, File 16', in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Volume 5, Edward II (London, 1908), pp. 107-114. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol5/pp107-114 [accessed 21 July 2018].

• Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage: Volume 12, Part 1: Strange of Knokyn http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk/cp/strangeofknokyn.shtml
• L'Estrange Ewen, Observations on the Stranges, 1946 (Online at World Vital Records)
• Hamon LeStrange, LeStrange Records: A Chronicle of the Early LeStranges of Norfolk and the March of Wales A.D. 1100-1310, with the Lines of Knockin and Blackmore Continued to Their Extinction] (Google eBook). Longmans, Green, 1916 (google e-book, and internet archive).
• Rev. E. W. Eyton, "Antiquities of Shropshire," Vol.3, pages 125 ff. (Links: google books, internet archive)
• Rev. E. W. Eyton, "Antiquities of Shropshire," Vol.10, pages 255 ff. (Links: google books, internet archive)