Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Strange, Roger le
STRANGE, ROGER le (d. 1311), judge, was a descendant of Guy Le Strange, who is thought to have been a younger son of Hoel II, duke of Brittany (1066–1084). He was sheriff of Yorkshire during the last two years of the reign of Henry III, and the first two of that of Edward I. In the last of these years he was prosecuted for various extortions committed while he was bailiff of the honour of Pec in Derbyshire. In 1279–1280 he was appointed steward of the king's household, and in 1282 captain of the king's forces in the fortresses of Whitchurch in Shropshire, Oswestry, and Montgomery (Parl. Writs, i. 243). In the latter capacity in December he is said to have slain Llewelyn near Builth (‘Opus Chronicorum’ in Trokelowe's Chronica, Rolls Ser. p. 40); the honour is, however, claimed by others [cf. art. Llywelyn ab Gruffydd]. On 21 Oct. 1283 he became justice of the forest on this side of Trent, and on 1 Aug. 1285 justice in eyre of the forest for the county of Derby. In 1287 he was despatched into Wales at the head of an expedition against Rhys ab Mereduc or Maredudd, and was ordered to reside in his lordships situated on the Welsh border until the rebellion was suppressed. He was summoned to a council held by Edmund, earl of Cornwall, who was acting as regent in the king's absence, on 13 Oct. 1288. In 1290 he is referred to as late bailiff of Builth. Towards the end of October or beginning of November 1291 he was sent with Lewis de la Pole to the court of Rome as the king's messenger. He was still staying abroad on the king's service on 18 April 1292. He was summoned to parliament in 1295, 1296, and 1297. In this latter year he surrendered the office of justice of the forest on account of ill-health, and on 11 May 1298 he nominated attorneys for two years for the same reason. He is, however, spoken of on 10 July 1301 as lately appointed to assess the king's wastes in his forests beyond Trent, and he joined in the letter of the barons on 12 Feb. 1301 respecting Scotland. He died between 8 July and 7 Aug. 1311 (Cal. Close Rolls Edw. II, 1318–23, p. 70; Abbreviatio Rotulorum Originalium, i. 182). He was lord of the manors of Ellesmere and Chesworthine in Shropshire, held for life by the gift of the king the manor of Shotwick in Cheshire, and was tenant by courtesy of a third part of the barony of Beauchamp.
[Foss's Judges of England, iii. 157; Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. I, 1281–92 pp. 84, 187, 401, 443, 447, 485, 1292–1301 pp. 350, 526; Annales Londonienses, in Stubbs's Chronicles of Edw. I and Edw. II, i. 123; Parl. Writs, i. 18, 195, 222, 234, 243, 251, 253; authorities cited in text.]