Sir John Stradling, 1st Baronet (1563 – 9 September 1637), was an English poet, scholar and politician.

Life

John Stradling was the son of Francis and Elizabeth Stradling of

St George, Bristol St George is a district of Bristol, England on the eastern edge of the city boundary. St George was originally in Gloucestershire, outside the city boundary, and the terminus of the tram line from Bristol was in Beaconsfield Road. It became a ci ...

, and was adopted by his second cousin, Sir Edward Stradling. He was educated under Edward Green, a canon of Bristol, before matriculating at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The l ...

in 1580. He graduated BA from

Magdalen Hall Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colle ...

in 1584, having gained a reputation as "a miracle for his forwardness in learning and pregnancy of parts". After studying for a while at one of the inns of court, he travelled abroad. Stradling was Sheriff of Glamorgan for 1608 and 1620.

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed on 15 May 1608, he was then described as living in

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

. In 1609, on the death of Sir Edward Stradling, he inherited

St Donat's Castle St Donat's Castle (), St Donats, Wales, is a medieval castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, about to the west of Cardiff, and about to the west of Llantwit Major. Positioned on cliffs overlooking the Bristol Channel, the site has been occupied s ...

and estate in

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

. On 22 May 1611 he was created Baronet. Stradling was member of parliament for St. Germans, Cornwall, (1623–1624),

Old Sarum Old Sarum, in Wiltshire, South West England, is the ruined and deserted site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury. Situated on a hill about north of modern Salisbury near the A345 road, the settlement appears in some of the earliest recor ...

(1625), and

(1625–1626). To carry out the wishes of Sir Edward, Stradling built, equipped, and endowed

Cowbridge Grammar School Cowbridge Grammar School was one of the best-known schools in Wales until its closure in 1974. It was replaced by Cowbridge Comprehensive School. Founded in the 17th century by Sir John Stradling, 1st Baronet, Sir John Stradling and refounde ...

, though the endowment seems to have subsequently lapsed until the school was refounded by Sir

Leoline Jenkins Sir Leoline Jenkins (1625 – 1 September 1685) was a Wales, Welsh academic, diplomat involved in the negotiation of international treaties (e.g. Treaties of Nijmegen, Nimègue), jurist and politician. He was a clerical lawyer who served as Jud ...

. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Gage; they had eight sons and three daughters. Their eldest son

Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...

inherited the title; their fourth son

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

was a Royalist captain; and their eighth son

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

was

Dean of Chichester The Dean of Chichester is the dean of Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, England. Bishop Ralph is credited with the foundation of the current cathedral after the original structure built by Stigand was largely destroyed by fire in 1114. He did ...

. Their eldest daughter Jane married William Thomas of Wenvoe, and had a daughter Elizabeth, who married the regicide

Edmund Ludlow Edmund Ludlow (c. 1617–1692) was an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement in the execution of Charles I, and for his ''Memoirs'', which were published posthumously in a rewritten form and which have become a major source ...

. Stradling enjoyed a great reputation for learning. He "was courted and admired" by

William Camden William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland that relates la ...

, who quotes him as "vir doctissimus" in his ''Britannia'', by Sir John Harington,

Thomas Leyson Thomas Leyson was a Welsh poet and physician in the 16th century. A member of the gentry, Leyson was born in Neath, Glamorgan circa 1549 and roughly 20 miles from St. Donat's Castle. He studied at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, where ...

, and Ioan David Rhys, to all of whom he wrote

epigrams An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word derives from the Greek (, "inscription", from [], "to write on, to inscribe"). This literary device has been practiced for over two millennia. ...

.James Harrington, in his Preface to George Stradling's ''Sermons''.

Works

Stradling was author or translator of: * (tr.) ''A Direction for travailers taken out of Epistola de Peregrinatione Italica … for the behoofe of the … Earl of Bedford'' by

Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius (Joest Lips or Joost Lips; October 18, 1547 – March 23, 1606) was a Flemish Catholic philologist, philosopher, and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatibl ...

, 1592 * (tr.) ''Two bookes of constancie … Englished by J.S.'' by

, 1595 * ''De vita et morte contemnenda libri duo'', 1597 * ''J. Stradlingi epigrammatum libri quatuor'', 1607 * ''Beati Pacifici; a divine poem'', 1623 * ''Divine Poems'', 1625 * ''The storie of the lower borowes of Merthyrmawr'', ed. H. J. Randall and William Rees, South Wales and Monmouth record society, 1932

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stradling, John 1563 births 1637 deaths 16th-century Welsh writers 17th-century Welsh poets 16th-century English translators 17th-century English translators Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford High sheriffs of Glamorgan Welsh knights Baronets in the Baronetage of England Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for St Germans Founders of Welsh schools and colleges English MPs 1624–1625 English MPs 1625 English MPs 1626