William Strode

Arms of Strode: Argent, a chevron between three conies courant sable. Detail from mural monument to Sir William IV Strode (1562-1637) in St Mary's Church, Plympton Sir William Strode (1614 – 13 January 1676) of Newnham, Plympton St Mary, Devon, was a member of the Devonshire gentry and twice served as MP for his family's pocket borough of Plympton Erle, in 1660 and 1661–1676.

Origins Strode was the eldest son of Sir Richard Strode (d. 1669) of Newnham, Plympton St Mary, Devon and Chalmington, Dorset by his second wife Elizabeth Erle, daughter of Thomas Erle of Charborough, Dorset. He was baptised on 18 December 1614.

Career

He entered Middle Temple in 1632. During the Civil War he kept out of the conflict and in 1644 he went abroad. He was on very bad terms with his father but in about 1654 his father had to make over the estate at Newnham to him.

In April 1660, Strode was elected Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle for the Convention Parliament. He became JP for Devon in July 1660 and became a commissioner for assessment in August 1660. He took little part in parliament but on 6 November 1660 he proposed a message of congratulation to the Queen Mother when she returned from France. He was knighted on 5 December 1660. including: Richard Strode (1638–1707), MP for Plympton Erle. He died unmarried. Together with his near neighbour Sir George Treby (d. 1700) of Plympton House, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, also an MP for Plympton Erle, he financed the building of Plympton Guildhall which he gave to the Borough of Plympton. Elizabeth Strode (b. 1641), wife of Joseph Maynard (1639–1689), MP. Secondly on 19 October 1647 he married Blanche Kekewich (d. 1665), daughter of William Kekewich of Catchfrench, Cornwall by whom he had seven sons and one daughter, including: John Strode (1662–1663), 5th son, died an infant Charles Strode, 6th son, married a certain Mary and had a daughter Jane Strode (born 1679) Jane Strode (1657–1658), died an infant

Death and burial He died at the age of 61 and was buried at Plympton St Mary.