File:Brass Sir Roger Le Strange (died 1506), St Mary's Church, Hunstanton.png

St Mary's Church, Hunstanton, Norfolk, monumental brass of Sir Roger L'Estrange (c.1446-1506), of Hunstanton Hall, lord of the manor of Hunstanton, atop his chest tomb. The effigy is flanked by two columns each of four smaller brass effigies of his ancestors, serving as weepers, each displaying his own arms on his tabard, in the style of the famous earlier monumental brass of Sir Hugh Hastings (died 1347), St Mary's Church, Elsing. He was an Esquire of the body to King Henry VIII and Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk. He was born in Pakenham, Suffolk, the eldest son of Henry le Strange (d.1485) by his wife Catherine Drury, a daughter of Roger Drury of Besthorpe. He married Amy (or Anne) Heydon (d.1509) a daughter of Henry Heydon (d.1503) of Baconsthorpe, by whom he had a son and heir, John, who dying under age, Robert L'Estrange his brother, was his heir (Source: jmc4 - Church Explorer [1]). See brass escutcheon on monument showing arms of L'Estrange quartering Morieux all impaling Heydon (Heydon of Baconsthorpe, Norfolk: Quarterly argent and gules, a cross engrailed counterchanged (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.472 "Haydon of Baconstrope (sic), Norfolk")[2]; See drawing of chest tomb by J S Cotman published 1817 by J S Cotman[3]. Sir Roger L'Estrange built the gatehouse of Hunstanton Hall, on which are sculpted the arms of Le Strange impaling Heydon, for his first wife. Arms of Le Strange: Gules, two lions passant argent.

Further reading see 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 [4]; For pedigree see Dashwood, (1878). The Visitation of Norfolk in the Year 1563. Vol.1 p.64[]; For transcript of his will see Nicolas, N.H. (1826). Testamenta vetusta: illustrations from wills, of manners, customs, &c., from the reign of Henry the second to queen Elizabeth, p.468[5]

Latin inscription:

"Orate p. aia nominati Rogeri Le Strange, militis, p. corpore illustrissimi nup. regie Anglie Hen. V II. ac filii et herecl. Henrici Le Strange, armig., fratris et heredis Joh’s Lestrange, filii et heredis Rogeri L ’Estrange, filii et heredis tam Johis. Lestrange, qui Alicie Beman consanguinie et heredis Johis. Pyke et Johis. Ruschebroke et diet. Johis. Lestrange, fuit fili. et heres. tam Johis. Lestrange, milit, qui Elianore filie et heredis tam Rich. [Walkfare, Militis, qui consanguinei et heredis Tho. Moreaux, militis, et dictus Johis. Lestrange, Miles, fuit filius et heres Hamonis Lestrange, armiger, et Katerine filie Dni. Joh’s Camois et dictus Hamo. Lestrange fuit filius et heres Hamonis Lestrange, militis, et Margareti Vernon de Mottron, consanguinee et heredis Magister Richardi Vernon et Dict. Hamo. L’Estrange, Miles, fuit frater Dni. John L'Estrange, Dni. de Knoken et Mawin; Qui quidem Rogerus L’Estrange, miles, obiit xxvii die Octobris A. Dni. m c c c c c v i et nup. regis die xxi cui ale aiab antecessor, bene­ factor. suae, Necnon ale Johis. L’Estrange de Massingham parva, Armigeri, fratris et executoris, ppciet. Roger L’Estrange, Militis, Deus ppcietur., Amen.” (Source: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Strange-860)

Genealogy

Based on the inscription (and expanded by Blomefield) the ancestry of Sir Roger L'Estrange (c.1446-1506) is as follows:

• Lord John L'Strange, lord of Knockin and Mawin, who bore arms Gules, two lions passant argent
• Hamon (d.1316) (younger brother), married Margaret Vernon of Mottron (blood relative and heiress to Richard Vernon) Blofield: "Margaret Vernon, daughter of Sir Ralph Vernon of Motran in Cheshire, by Elizabeth Brian de St. Peter his wife, daughter of Sir Brian de St. Peter, and heiress of Richard Vernun, descended from the Lords Vernon, of Shipbrook, in Cheshire". In 1309 he was enfeoffed with the manor of Hunstanton by his brother Lord John L'Strange (per Blomfield). He bore arms Gules, two lions passant argent a bendlet sable overall for difference (per Blomfield)
  • Hamon Le Strange, son and heir, married Katherine Camois daughter of Lord John Camois. He was buried at Hunstanton;
    • John Le Strange, son and heir, married a lady named Eleanor (i.e. Alianore Walkfare, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Richard Walkfare by his wife .... Morieux, the daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Morieux, of Suffolk, Constable of the Tower of London (per Blomfield)) (Arms of Morieux, as shown quartered by L'Estrange on the monument, but with 9 billets, i.e. billetée[6]: Gules, on a bend argent seven billets sable (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.706)) who was blood relative and heiress to Richard Walkfare (who was himself a blood relative and heir to Sir Thomas Morieux). His arms were: Two lions and a bendlet over all (per Blomfield).
      • John Le Strange, son and heir, married Alice Beman, also mother of his children, a blood relative and heir to John Pyke and John Rushbrook. (i.e. he married Alice Beman, daughter and heir of Nicholas Beman, by Maud Pike his wife, daughter and heir of John Pike, by Eleanore de Rushbrook his wife, daughter and heir of Sir William de Rushbrook, of Suffolk (per Blomfield))
        • Roger Le Strange, son and heir, who married a certain Jane, called in some writings, Jane Bebe (per Blomfield)
          • John Le Strange, son and heir,
          • Henry Le Strange (d.1485), brother and heir, who married Catherine Drury, a daughter of Roger Drury of Besthorpe. His will is dated in 1483, wherein he desires to be buried in the chancel of Hunstanton Church, by the north wall, appoints Catharine Drury his wife, and Roger Drury, of Haustead, Esq. in Suffolk, her father, executors, &c. and died seized of manors in Hunstanton, Holm, Ringsted, Hitcham, Sedgford, &c. Norfolk; and of Pakenham, and Stow Langtoft in Suffolk, &c. appoints masses to be said for the souls of Sir Hugh, and Sir Thomas de Morieux, knights.
            • Sir Roger L'Estrange (c.1446-1506), son and heir, married Amy Heydon (d.1509) a daughter of Henry Heydon (d.1503) of Baconsthorpe, died without surviving issue.
            • Robert L'Estrange, brother and heir.
              

In 1629 Nicholas L'Estrange of Hunstanton was created a baronet (see w:L'Estrange baronets), and dropped the bend for difference in his arms, reverting to the undifferenced arms of the senior line. (per Blomfield)

Heraldry

Arms: Quarterly of 8 (see fuller image[7]):

• 1&8: Gules, two lions passant argent overall a bendlet sable for difference (Le Strange of Hunstanton)
• 2: Or, on a fess azure, three garbs of the field (Arms ("modern") of the Vernon family of Shipbrook, Cheshire (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.1055). The "ancient" arms omitted the garbs, symbols of the Earl of Chester, thus the modern arms were apparently an augmentation of honour);
• 3: De Vere ?
• 4: Gules, on a bend argent seven billets sable (Morieux) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.706)
• 5: A lion rampant
• 6: A fess between three cinquefoils
• 7: Or, on a chief gules three bezants (Camoys, Baron Camoys) ?