Baron Strange

Last updated

Arms of Stanley, with quarterings of Strange, King of Man, Woodville, Mohun, and de Warenne (Earl of Surrey), all circumscribed by the Garter. Possibly the arms of Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby(1435-1504), KG. Ordsall Hall, Salford Ordsall Hall 2014 04.jpg
Arms of Stanley, with quarterings of Strange, King of Man, Woodville, Mohun, and de Warenne (Earl of Surrey), all circumscribed by the Garter. Possibly the arms of Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby(1435-1504), KG. Ordsall Hall, Salford

Baron Strange is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. Two creations, one in 1295 and another in 1326, had only one holder each, upon whose deaths they became extinct. Two of the creations, that of 1299 and that of 1628, are extant. The surname Le Strange was Latinized as Extraneus [1] (i.e. "Foreigner, Stranger" [2] ). The arms of Le Strange of Knockin Castle in Shropshire were: Gules, two lions passant argent. [3]

Contents

All four baronies of Strange were created by writ, which means that they can also pass through female lines. Following the passing of the Peerage Act 1963, Elizabeth Frances Philipps, 14th Baroness Strange (of the 1299 creation), became the first female to take her seat in the House of Lords by virtue of an hereditary peerage.

1295 creation

The first creation came in 1295 when Roger le Strange "of Salop." [4] (i.e. Shropshire) was summoned to the Model Parliament by writ addressed to Rogero Extraneo, by which he is deemed to have become Lord Strange. He was a younger son of John le Strange III of Knockin Castle in Shropshire, Sheriff of Shropshire and Staffordshire in 1236. [5] On his death in 1311 the title became extinct.

1299 creation

The second creation came in 1299 when John le Strange V was summoned to the House of Lords by a writ directed to Johanni Lestraunge de Knokyn, [6] by which he is deemed to have become Lord Strange. This creation is referred to as Baron Strange de Knokyn or Baron Strange of Knokyn (aliter Knokin or Knockin, etc.), named after his seat of Knockin Castle in Shropshire, which thus distinguishes it from the earlier 1295 barony, which was still extant on its creation. He was the eldest son and heir of John le Strange IV of Knockin, the eldest son of John le Strange III of Knockin, [7] and was therefore the nephew of the baron of the 1295 creation. Hamon Le Strange, younger brother of the 2nd Baron, founded the family of Le Strange of Hunstanton, Norfolk (which ancestral manor was given to him by the 2nd Baron in 1309), [8] and bore his paternal arms differenced by a bendlet sable. (See L'Estrange baronets of Hunstanton, created in 1629, which male line continued until 1762)). Joan le Strange, suo jure 9th Baroness, daughter and heiress of the 8th Baron who died without male issue, [9] married George Stanley, 9th Baron Strange, son of Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, who was summoned to Parliament as Lord Strange in her right. Her son Thomas Stanley succeeded as both 2nd Earl of Derby and 10th Baron Strange.

The titles remained united until the death of his great-grandson, the fifth Earl and 13th Baron, in 1594. The earldom was inherited by his younger brother, the sixth Earl, while the barony of Strange (as well as the baronies of Mohun of Dunster and Stanley, also held by the Earl) fell into abeyance between the late Earl's three daughters Lady Anne, Lady Frances and Lady Elizabeth (however, the sixth Earl of Derby erroneously assumed the barony of Strange - see below). The barony of Strange remained in abeyance for the next 327 years.

However, the abeyance was terminated in 1921 in favour of Elizabeth Frances Philipps, Viscountess St Davids, who became the fourteenth Baroness. She was the second wife of John Philipps, 1st Viscount St Davids. The abeyance of the ancient baronies of Hungerford and de Moleyns was terminated at the same time in her favour. On 31 July 1963, the Peerage Act 1963 came into effect, which, among other things, enabled women to sit and vote in the House of Lords by virtue of an hereditary peerage. [10] Following the passage of the Act, Lady St Davids applied for a writ of summons to the House of Lords in right of her Strange barony, which was subsequently issued to her, and she took her seat in the House on 19 November 1963 [11] as the first female peer to do so under the provision of the Peerage Act 1963. On her death in 1974 the titles were inherited by her son, the fifteenth Baron Strange, who had already succeeded his father as second Viscount St Davids. As of 2013 the titles are held by the second Viscount's grandson, the fourth Viscount and seventeenth Baron Strange.

1326 creation

The third creation came in 1326 when Sir Eubulus le Strange was summoned to Parliament as Lord Strange. However, the title became extinct on his death in 1335. His nephew Roger le Strange, 4th Baron Strange of Knockyn, was his heir. [12]

1628 creation

In 1594 William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby (1561-1642), following the death of his elder brother the 5th Earl of Derby, incorrectly assumed the title Baron Strange (created in 1299) (see above). In 1628 his son and heir apparent, James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration as Lord Strange. When it was discovered that his father's assumption of the barony was erroneous, it was deemed that there were two baronies of Strange, one created in 1299 then in abeyance, and another created "accidentally" in 1628. James Stanley later succeeded his father as 7th Earl of Derby.

The titles remained united until the death of his grandson, the ninth Earl and third Baron, in 1702. The earldom was inherited by the late Earl's younger brother, the tenth Earl, while the barony fell into abeyance between the Earl's two daughters, Lady Henrietta and Lady Elizabeth. On Lady Elizabeth's death in 1714 the abeyance was terminated in favour of Henrietta, who became the fourth Baroness. She married, firstly, John Annesley, 4th Earl of Anglesey, and after his death, secondly, John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham. Lady Strange was succeeded by her daughter from her second marriage, Henrietta Bridget, the fifth Baroness. However, she died unmarried at an early age and was succeeded by her aforementioned great-uncle, the tenth Earl of Derby, who became the sixth Baron Strange.

Lord Derby was childless and was succeeded in the barony by his first cousin once removed James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl, who became the seventh Baron Strange as well. He was the grandson of Lady Amelia Anne Sophia Stanley, daughter of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. On his death the dukedom and barony separated. He was succeeded in the dukedom by his nephew John Murray, 3rd Duke of Atholl, while the barony passed to his daughter Charlotte, the eighth Baroness. She married her first cousin, the third Duke of Atholl. They were both succeeded by their son, the fourth Duke and ninth Baron. In 1786 he was created Earl Strange and Baron Murray of Stanley in the Peerage of Great Britain. The dukedom and barony remained united until the death of his great-great-grandson, the ninth Duke and fourteenth Baron, in 1957 (see the Duke of Atholl for more detailed information on the holders during this period and for later history of the title).

The barony of Strange fell into abeyance between the representatives of the three daughters of the fourth Duke of Atholl, Lady Charlotte, Lady Amelia Sophia and Lady Elizabeth. The abeyance was terminated by the Queen in 1965 in favour of John Drummond of Megginch, who became the fifteenth Baron. He was the great-grandson of Lady Charlotte and her second husband Admiral Sir Adam Drummond of Megginch. However, on his death in 1982 the peerage once again fell into abeyance, this time between his three daughters. It was called out of abeyance in 1986 in favour of the eldest daughter, Cherry, who became the sixteenth Baroness. She was the wife of Captain Humphrey ap Evans (1922–2009), who along with his wife assumed the name of Drummond of Megginch by decree of the Lord Lyon in 1965. Lady Strange was one of the ninety hereditary peers that were allowed to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. On her death in 2005 the title was inherited by her eldest son, the seventeenth and (as of 2017) present holder of the title.

The family seat was Megginch Castle, near Errol, Perthshire.

Barons Strange, First Creation (1295)

Barons Strange (de/of Knockin), Second Creation (1299)

Arms of Strange de Knockin: Gules, two lions passant argent Strange of Knockyn arms.svg
Arms of Strange de Knockin: Gules, two lions passant argent
Arms of Stanley: Argent, on a bend azure three buck's heads cabossed or Arms of Stanley.svg
Arms of Stanley: Argent, on a bend azure three buck's heads cabossed or

Barons Strange, Third Creation (1326)

Barons Strange, Fourth Creation (1628)

This barony was created by clerical error in 1628, confusing Lord Derby with the claimant of the older Barony Strange of Knockin (created in 1299). See Baronies created by error for details.

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Hon. John Adam Humphrey Drummond (b. 1992).

The style Lord Strange was used as a courtesy title by the Earls of Derby until James Stanley, Lord Strange (1716–1771), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; he was the son of Edward Stanley, 11th Earl of Derby, who (unlike his 6th cousin, the 10th Earl) did not hold the barony of Strange (it having passed to the Murray family). Nowadays the Earls of Derby use the courtesy title of Lord Stanley for heirs apparent.

Partial family tree

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.347, note (i)
  2. ↑ Cassell's Latin Dictionary, Marchant, J.R.V, & Charles, Joseph F., (Eds.), Revised Edition, 1928, p.214
  3. ↑ Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.979
  4. ↑ Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.346
  5. ↑ Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, pp.346/50
  6. ↑ Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.352
  7. ↑ Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, pp351-2
  8. ↑ Francis Blomefield, 'Smethdon Hundred: Hunstanton Lordship', in An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 10 (London, 1809), pp. 312-328
  9. ↑ Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.56
  10. ↑ - Peerage Act 1963
  11. ↑ Lords Hansard (19 November 1963) - Baroness Strange of Knockin
  12. ↑ Le Strange Records, 1916
  13. ↑ Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry, p. 692-693.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Derby</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279. Most of the Ferrers property and the Derby title were then held by the family of Henry III. The title merged in the Crown upon Henry IV's accession to the throne in 1399.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Atholl</span> Title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray

Duke of Atholl, named for Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male of his father, the 1st Marquess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron de Ros</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron de Ros of Helmsley is the premier baron in the Peerage of England, created in 1288/89 for William de Ros, with precedence to 24 December 1264. Premier baron is a designation and status awarded to the holder of the most ancient extant barony of the Peerage of England. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Prior of the Order of St John in England was deemed the premier baron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Suffolk</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Earl of Suffolk is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, in tandem with the creation of the title of Earl of Norfolk, came before 1069 in favour of Ralph the Staller; but the title was forfeited by his heir, Ralph de Guader, in 1074. The second creation came in 1337 in favour of Robert de Ufford; the title became extinct on the death of his son, the second Earl, in 1382. The third creation came in 1385 in favour of Michael de la Pole. The fourth creation was in 1603 for Lord Thomas Howard, the second son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, by his second wife Margaret Audley, the daughter and eventual sole heiress of Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, of Audley End in the parish of Saffron Walden in Essex. Howard was a prominent naval commander and politician and served as Earl Marshal, as Lord Chamberlain of the Household and as Lord High Treasurer. In 1597 he was summoned to Parliament as Baron Howard de Walden, and in 1603 he was further honoured, at the start of the reign of King James I, when he was created Earl of Suffolk. His second son the Hon. Thomas Howard was created Earl of Berkshire in 1626.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Hastings</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1290, and is extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in c. 1314. The third creation was in the Peerage of England in 1461, and has been in abeyance since 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron de Clifford</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron de Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1299 for Robert de Clifford (c.1274–1314), feudal baron of Clifford in Herefordshire, feudal baron of Skipton in Yorkshire and feudal baron of Appleby in Westmoreland. The title was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The Norman family which later took the name de Clifford settled in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and was first seated in England at Clifford Castle in Herefordshire. The first Baron served as Earl Marshal of England but was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. His 8th generation descendant the 11th Baron, was created Earl of Cumberland in 1525, whose grandson the 3rd Earl was a noted naval commander. On the latter's death in 1605, the earldom passed to his younger brother, the 4th Earl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Willoughby de Eresby</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Willoughby de Eresby is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1313 for Robert de Willoughby. Since 1983, the title has been held by Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Wharton</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Wharton is a title in the Peerage of England, originally granted by letters patent to the heirs male of the 1st Baron, which was forfeited in 1729 when the last male-line heir was declared an outlaw. The Barony was erroneously revived in 1916 by writ of summons, thanks to an 1844 decision in the House of Lords based on absence of documentation. As such, the current Barony of Wharton could more accurately be listed as a new Barony, created in 1916, with the precedence of the older Barony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Dacre</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Stafford</span> English baronial title

Baron Stafford, referring to the town of Stafford, is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. In the 14th century, the barons of the first creation were made earls. Those of the fifth creation, in the 17th century, became first viscounts and then earls. Since 1913, the title has been held by the Fitzherbert family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Nairne</span>

Lord Nairne is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created by Charles II for Sir Robert Nairne of Strathord in 1681, which since 1995 is held by the Viscount Mersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby</span> English nobleman and politician

James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, KG was an English nobleman, politician, and supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War. Before inheriting the title in 1642 he was known as Lord Strange. He was feudal Lord of the Isle of Man, where he was known as "Yn Stanlagh Mooar".

Jean Cherry Drummond of Megginch, 16th Baroness Strange was a cross bench hereditary peer in the House of Lords. She also wrote romantic novels and historical works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl</span> Scottish peer

James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl,, styled Marquess of Tullibardine between 1715 and 1746, was a Scottish peer, and Lord Privy Seal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl</span> Scottish peer

John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl, KT, PC, FRS, styled Marquess of Tullibardine from 1764 to 1774, was a Scottish peer.

The title Baron Ferrers of Chartley was created on 6 February 1299 for John de Ferrers, son of Robert de Ferrers, 6th Earl of Derby. The daughter of the 6th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, Anne, married Walter Devereux who was summoned to parliament as Lord Ferrers in her right. Their descendants became Earls of Essex and the peerage was forfeited in 1601 on the attainder of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, but restored to his son Robert in 1604, on whose death in 1646 the peerage fell into abeyance. The abeyance was terminated in 1677 when Robert Shirley, a grandson of one of the sisters of the 3rd Earl of Essex, was summoned as Lord Ferrers of Chartley with precedence to the original creation. In 1711, Shirley was created the 1st Earl Ferrers, but the Earldom and Barony separated at his death, the barony going to Elizabeth Shirley, the daughter of his eldest son, while the earldom went to his second son. On the 1741 death of Elizabeth Shirley, 15th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley and wife of the Earl of Northampton, the peerage again briefly fell into an abeyance that was resolved in 1749 by the death of two of the three heiresses, leaving the surviving daughter, Charlotte Compton, wife of the Marquess Townshend, as 16th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley. The barony continued, merged with the marquessate, until the death of George Ferrars Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend in 1855, when it again fell into abeyance between his two sisters and their heirs. It remains in abeyance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Montagu</span> Extinct barony in the Peerage of England

The titles Baron Montacute or Baron Montagu were created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the House of Montagu. The family name was Latinised to de Monte Acuto, meaning "from the sharp mountain"; the French form is an ancient spelling of mont aigu, with identical meaning.

Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet, 18th Baron de Clifford PC was an English nobleman and politician.

John Drummond, 10th of Megginch, 15th Baron Strange, was Chief of the Baronial House and Branch of Drummond of Concraig and Lennoch within the clan Drummond and Baron of Megginch.

Elizabeth Frances Philipps, Viscountess St Davids was a British peeress. Following the passing of the Peerage Act 1963, she became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Lords by virtue of an hereditary peerage as 14th Baroness Strange of Knokin.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.