Welsh Journals

Edward, born about 1472, was delivered first into the custody of Richard Ill's henchman, Sir James Tyrell, and then, after the Battle of Bosworth, into that of Sir Rhys at Thomas, the boy's stepfather.1 3. THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: Local and National Politics2 Edward Stradling came of age in the dying years of the fifteenth century and entered the next one married to Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Arundell of Lanherne in Cornwall.3 Apart from serving as deputy-steward of Ogmore, little is known of his career during Henry VII's reign, nor even on which of his estates he spent most of his time but he probably lived in Somerset and one of his daughters married Alexander Popham of Highworth in that county.4 Nevertheless, in May 15 15 he was at Cardiff presiding as one of the justices over the great sessions, and it is he who is said to have attempted dredging work at the mouth of the river Ogwr, some miles from St. Donat's. He accompanied the army to France in 1513 and after the capture of Tournai was dubbed a knight of the Bath in the cathedral there by Henry VIII himself on 25 September.6 His relations with the ruling faction in Glamorgan, headed by Charles Somerset, earl of Worcester, seem at first to have been amicable, and in June 15 14 Sir Edward was one of the feoffees of Worcester's lordship of Gower.7 But tension grew between him and the earl's officers towards the end of his life his sons, Thomas and Henry, set upon Worcester's deputy at Cardiff Castle, murdered one of his servants and wounded several 1 Glamorgan County Record Office D/DTD/17 p. 5 C.P.R., 1485-94, 217. 2 I am grateful to Mr. R. J. W. Swales for allowing me to read his notes on Sir Thomas and David Stradling. 3 Powel, op. cit., xlv. 4 Collinson, op. cit., i. xl Powel, op. cit., xlv. He received a pardon from Henry VIII in November 1509, possibly to cover his term as deputy- steward of Ogmore. Letters and Papers, Henry VIII, i, pt. i. 251, 5 Matthews, op. cit., i. 199 S. Wales and Mon. Rec. Publ., i. 123. 6 L. and P., Henry VIII, i, pt. ii. 1027-8. 7 Ibid., 1310.