Sir William Strode (1562–1637) of
Newnham in the parish of
Plympton St Mary, Devon, England, was a member of the Devon landed gentry, a military engineer and seven times a
Member of Parliament elected for
Devon in 1597 and 1624, for
Plympton Erle in 1601, 1604, 1621 and 1625, and for
Plymouth in 1614. He was
High Sheriff of Devon from 1593 to 1594 and was knighted in 1598. In 1599 he was appointed
Deputy Lieutenant of Devon. There is a monument to him in the parish church of Plympton St Mary.
He entered
Inner Temple in 1580 and succeeded to the estates of his father the following year. At the time of the
Spanish Armada (1588) he became a colonel of the
stannary of Plympton, in command of one hundred men. He was a
JP for Devon from about 1592. In 1593 he came into possession of the family tin-mining interests which were previously managed by his uncle, Philip Strode and was appointed
High Sheriff of Devon for 1593–94. In 1595 he was in charge of construction works on Plymouth fort. He was a close friend of Admiral
Sir Francis Drake (died 1596) and was one of the executors of Drake's will.[2]
In 1597, Strode was elected
Member of Parliament for
Devon. He was appointed surveyor of the house and castle of Templeton, Devon for life. In 1599 he became
Deputy Lieutenant. He was elected MP for
Plympton Erle in 1601 and was re-elected for the seat in 1604. In 1606 he was appointed surveyor of Devon for life.[2] He was re-elected MP for Plympton Erle in 1614 and in 1621. In 1624, he was elected MP for Devon. He was elected MP for Plympton Erle again in 1625 and 1626.[3]
As well as Newnham, Strode also had a residence at
Meavy,[4] about six miles to the north, which was later the residence of his second son
William Strode (1594–1645), MP.[5] His great-grandfather Richard Strode (died 1552) had married Agnes Milliton, daughter of John Milliton of Meavy.[6]
Strode died in 1637 and was buried in the church of St Mary's Plympton, where there is a monument to him (see photograph below). His will was proved in February 1639.[2]
Marriages and children
Strode married twice.[5] Firstly in 1581 to Mary Southcote (died 1618) daughter of
Thomas Southcote (died 1600), MP, of
Bovey Tracey, by whom he had three sons and seven daughters:[5]
Sir
Richard Strode (1584–1669), MP, eldest son and heir.
John Strode, third son, of Tavistock, who died at some time after 1644.
Mary Strode (born 1586), eldest daughter, married
Sir George Chudleigh, 1st Baronet (1582–1656), of Atherington. She predeceased her husband and was buried in Ashton Church.[7]
Joanna Strode, second daughter, married in 1615 as his second wife,
Sir Francis Drake, 1st Baronet (1588 – c. 1637), of Buckland, nephew of his namesake the great Admiral.[8] She remarried in 1639 at Bere Ferrers (or Buckland Monachorum) to John Trefusis of Milor (or of Trefusis), Cornwall.[citation needed]
Ursula Strode (died 1635), his third daughter, married Sir
John III Chichester (1598–1669), MP, of
Hall, Bishop's Tawton. Her mural monument exists in Bishops Tawton Church (see photograph below).
Frances Strode, fourth daughter, married in 1606/7 to Sir Samuel Somaster, Knight (born 1692), of Painsford, Ashprington.
Juliana Strode (died 1627), his fifth daughter married
Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet (died 1654), of
Creedy, Sandford, near
Crediton, Devon. A mural monument to her survives in Sandford Church (see photograph below).
Margaret Strode, sixth daughter, married Sir John Younge of Stetscome.
Elizabeth Strode, seventh daughter, married Edmond Speccot (died 1620) of Anderdon, Cornwall, second son of
Humphrey Speccot, MP, of
Speccot, in the parish of
Merton, Devon.[9]
Strode's second marriage, in 1624 was to Dunes Glanville (died 1635) daughter of Nicholas Glanville, who was brother to Sir
Sir John Glanville (1542–1600).[10] He was her third husband; they had no children.[11]
Monuments to Strode and his daughters
Sir William Strode's mural monument in St Mary's Church, Plympton
Detail of shield atop Strode's monument showing heraldic
quarterings
Mural monument to Ursula Strode (d. 1635), Bishop's Tawton Church
Mural monument to Juliana Strode (d.1627), Sandford Church
Sir William Strode (1562–1637) of
Newnham in the parish of
Plympton St Mary, Devon, England, was a member of the Devon landed gentry, a military engineer and seven times a
Member of Parliament elected for
Devon in 1597 and 1624, for
Plympton Erle in 1601, 1604, 1621 and 1625, and for
Plymouth in 1614. He was
High Sheriff of Devon from 1593 to 1594 and was knighted in 1598. In 1599 he was appointed
Deputy Lieutenant of Devon. There is a monument to him in the parish church of Plympton St Mary.
He entered
Inner Temple in 1580 and succeeded to the estates of his father the following year. At the time of the
Spanish Armada (1588) he became a colonel of the
stannary of Plympton, in command of one hundred men. He was a
JP for Devon from about 1592. In 1593 he came into possession of the family tin-mining interests which were previously managed by his uncle, Philip Strode and was appointed
High Sheriff of Devon for 1593–94. In 1595 he was in charge of construction works on Plymouth fort. He was a close friend of Admiral
Sir Francis Drake (died 1596) and was one of the executors of Drake's will.[2]
In 1597, Strode was elected
Member of Parliament for
Devon. He was appointed surveyor of the house and castle of Templeton, Devon for life. In 1599 he became
Deputy Lieutenant. He was elected MP for
Plympton Erle in 1601 and was re-elected for the seat in 1604. In 1606 he was appointed surveyor of Devon for life.[2] He was re-elected MP for Plympton Erle in 1614 and in 1621. In 1624, he was elected MP for Devon. He was elected MP for Plympton Erle again in 1625 and 1626.[3]
As well as Newnham, Strode also had a residence at
Meavy,[4] about six miles to the north, which was later the residence of his second son
William Strode (1594–1645), MP.[5] His great-grandfather Richard Strode (died 1552) had married Agnes Milliton, daughter of John Milliton of Meavy.[6]
Strode died in 1637 and was buried in the church of St Mary's Plympton, where there is a monument to him (see photograph below). His will was proved in February 1639.[2]
Marriages and children
Strode married twice.[5] Firstly in 1581 to Mary Southcote (died 1618) daughter of
Thomas Southcote (died 1600), MP, of
Bovey Tracey, by whom he had three sons and seven daughters:[5]
Sir
Richard Strode (1584–1669), MP, eldest son and heir.
John Strode, third son, of Tavistock, who died at some time after 1644.
Mary Strode (born 1586), eldest daughter, married
Sir George Chudleigh, 1st Baronet (1582–1656), of Atherington. She predeceased her husband and was buried in Ashton Church.[7]
Joanna Strode, second daughter, married in 1615 as his second wife,
Sir Francis Drake, 1st Baronet (1588 – c. 1637), of Buckland, nephew of his namesake the great Admiral.[8] She remarried in 1639 at Bere Ferrers (or Buckland Monachorum) to John Trefusis of Milor (or of Trefusis), Cornwall.[citation needed]
Ursula Strode (died 1635), his third daughter, married Sir
John III Chichester (1598–1669), MP, of
Hall, Bishop's Tawton. Her mural monument exists in Bishops Tawton Church (see photograph below).
Frances Strode, fourth daughter, married in 1606/7 to Sir Samuel Somaster, Knight (born 1692), of Painsford, Ashprington.
Juliana Strode (died 1627), his fifth daughter married
Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet (died 1654), of
Creedy, Sandford, near
Crediton, Devon. A mural monument to her survives in Sandford Church (see photograph below).
Margaret Strode, sixth daughter, married Sir John Younge of Stetscome.
Elizabeth Strode, seventh daughter, married Edmond Speccot (died 1620) of Anderdon, Cornwall, second son of
Humphrey Speccot, MP, of
Speccot, in the parish of
Merton, Devon.[9]
Strode's second marriage, in 1624 was to Dunes Glanville (died 1635) daughter of Nicholas Glanville, who was brother to Sir
Sir John Glanville (1542–1600).[10] He was her third husband; they had no children.[11]
Monuments to Strode and his daughters
Sir William Strode's mural monument in St Mary's Church, Plympton
Detail of shield atop Strode's monument showing heraldic
quarterings
Mural monument to Ursula Strode (d. 1635), Bishop's Tawton Church
Mural monument to Juliana Strode (d.1627), Sandford Church