
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
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 ...
(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
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 ...
, 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