Sir Nicholas L'Estrange, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir Nicholas L'Estrange (born March 1604 – died July 24, 1655) was an English nobleman. He was known for being a baronet and for collecting many interesting stories and jokes.

Life of Sir Nicholas L'Estrange

Nicholas L'Estrange was the third son of Sir Hamon le Strange and Alice Stubbe. He grew up at Hunstanton Hall. In 1622, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge for his studies. Two years later, he joined Lincoln's Inn, which is a place where people train to become lawyers.

In 1629, his father bought him the title of baronet. This title was part of the Baronetage of England. It cost £300, plus another £100 in fees. On August 26, 1630, Nicholas married Anne Lewkenor. She was born in 1612 and died in 1663. They had eight sons and three daughters together.

Nicholas L'Estrange shared his family's views. They supported the King during the English Civil War. These supporters were called Royalists. However, there is no record that Nicholas took an active part in the fighting. In October 1642, he chose not to go to a meeting. This meeting was for military leaders in Norwich. It was called by the King's opponents, known as Roundheads.

After this, the leaders in Norfolk ordered a search of his home. They wanted to remove any weapons he had. Nicholas managed to keep his lands and property safe. This was during the time when England was a republic, called the Commonwealth of England. He died on July 24, 1655, at Hunstanton. He was buried there. His son, Hamon, took over his title after him.

Sir Nicholas: A Collector of Stories

Nicholas L'Estrange was an active member of society in Norfolk. He was an important person among the local noble families, known as the gentry. He often attended court sessions and elections in Norwich. He also enjoyed hunting and hawking.

He loved to watch and write down what happened around him. He collected more than 600 short, interesting stories. These stories were published without his name in a book called Merry Passages and Jests. Many of these stories were quite rude for the time. So, when the collection was published again in 1839, only 141 stories were considered suitable to print.

The stories show his connections with many people in East Anglian society. He wrote about people like Sir Drue Drury and Sir John Hobart. He also wrote about his relatives, Hamon L'Estrange and Roger L'Estrange. These stories give us a unique look into daily life in the countryside during that time. They show how noble families interacted. They also share the gossip heard in local taverns.