John le Strange Lord of Knockyn

  General Notes:

~Ancestral Roots of Sixy Colonists Who Came to New England between 1623 and 1650, 8th Edition, 29A:30, father of Robert le Strange, husband of Lucy de Tregoz. 255:29, Married Lucy de Tregoz, daughter of Sibyl de Ewyas and Robert de Tregoz. ¹⁶⁰

  Noted events in his life were:

• Children. ⁷²¹
• John le Strange [IV] of Knockin, d. 1276
• Hamon le Strange d. 1272
• Roger le Strange of Ellesmere, d. 31 July 1311
• Robert le Strange, d. 1276
• Hawyse le Strange, d. 1310
• Alice le Strange

• Background Information. ¹²²
John le Strange III, son and heir. In 1213 he attended upon the King to pay a debt on behalf of his father, and in 1214 he was serving in Poitou. In 1219 he was conducting an enquiry into forest matters at Shrewsbury. In 1225 he was directed to assist in conducting to Gloucester the fifteenth collected in Staffs and Salop. On 25 May 1231 the King granted to him and his heirs the manor of Wrockwardine. In 1232, and frequently thereafter, he was appointed to see that the truce with Llewelin was observed on both sides. In 1235 he was Constable of Montgomery. On 24 Oct 1236 he was appointed Sheriff of Salop and Staffs. Late in 1240 or early in 1241 he was appointed Justice of Chester. In 1248 he was about to go on pilgrimage to Pontigny. In 1249 he had a grant to himself and his heirs of a market and fair at Knockin. In March 1257/8 and again in August 1260 he was summoned to Chester, in October 1261 to London, and in January 1262/3 to Hereford and in May to Worcester, in connection with the disturbances in Wales. He is said to have married Lucy, daughter of Robert Tregoz. He died before 26 March 1269.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, Vol. XII/A, pp. 350-351

  Information about this person:

• Background Information. ⁸⁰²
The third John le Strange had entered public life as early as 1212 and in 1214 he served in Poitou. At his father's death, he was already Lord of Wrockwardine. In 1233, he had custody of Montgomery Castle of Sueth; for a Patent of 14 Jun 1233 orders him to place William de Boeles in that trust. A patent of 6 Feb 1234, shows him as Custos of a hostage, required by the Crown from his own Suzerain, John fitz Alan. On 9 Jul 1236, as Constable of Montgomery, he has the King's letters of protection for all Suits. On 26 Oct 1236, he was appointed to the greater trust or custody of the counties of Salop and Stafford, and on 14 Nov, Robert de la Haye (the late Sheriff) was enjoined to give up to his keeping the Castles of Shrewsbury and Bridnorth. On 3 Dec 1240, the King give to John le Strange custody of the Castle and County of Chester.

A Patent of 12 Feb 1241, is about an understanding between the King and John le Strange, his trusty Minister. If the King should die at any time before John le Strange, the 3rd, should have been relieved of his offices as Custos of the Castles of Montgomery, Shrewsbury and Bridgenorth and the County of Chester, then the said John was to make them all over to the Queen for the use of Edward, the King's son. A Patent of 2 Dec 1241 addresses John le Strange as Justice of Chester, empowering him to release some Welsh hostages, so soon as David ap Lewellyn should have sent others to replace them. On 25 Feb 1242, John le Strange was commissioned to asscess a tallage on the Royal demesnes of Shropshire and Straffordshire. At this time, and pending the minority of John Fitz Alan II, John le Strange was Custos of the Castles and Manors of Oswestry, Clun, Shrawardine and Montford. The Pipe-Rolls are loaded with various accounts. In March 1244, Ludlow Castle was in his temporary keeping.

By 1250, there begins a partial relaxtion of his duties due to his age. He is continued to be employed by the King as a Justice and as a Negotiator. In Aug 1253, one of his younger sons, Jamon, accompanied the King into Gascony. In 1254, he himself was appointed as a Justicar to divide the inheritance among the heirs of William de Braose.

The Shropshire Forest-Roll of Feb 1262 contains certain reminiscences of John le Strange and his sons, which show that the old man was a lover of the Forest and the Chase. He died early in 1269, and on 26 Mar 1269 the King, at Westminister received the homage of John, his heir.

The wife of John le Strange was named Lucia. She is said to have been the daughter of Robert de Tregoz. Beside his son and heir, John, this John le Strange was the father of at least three other sons, Hamo, Roger and Robert. Hamo, Lord of Ellesmere and Stretton, became a Crusader, and died without issure, probably in the Holy Land. Roger was Lord of Cheswardine and eventually of Ellesmere. He died without lawful issue. Robert was the Ancestor of the House of Blackmere.

John le Strange, 3rd, had two daughters, Alice and Hawyse. In a deed of about 1260/61, "John le Strange gives tohis daughter Alice, towards her marriage, half his Manor of Lycham, Norfolk toghether with the Advowson of the Church. Witnesses,-Sir Fuld de Orreby, Sir Hamo le Strange, Roger le Strange."

Hawise, the other daughter, was nobly espoused. Her husband was Griffin ap Gwenwynwyn, Price of Powys. Hawise, Princess of Powys was entrusted by her brother, Hamon, with the keeping of the Manor of Stretton, and he exacted a written promise that it should be restored on his return from Palestine, which never happened.

~Antiquities of Shropshire, Vol. 10 pp. 270-275

John married Lucy de Tregoz, daughter of Sir Robert Tregoz Knight and Juliane de Cantelou.¹⁴¹ (Lucy de Tregoz was born in England and died in England.)