Terry Foreman on 3 Jun 2012  •  Link

Giles Strangways (3 June 1615 – 20 July 1675) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1675. He fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War

Strangways was the son of Sir John Strangways of Melbury in Somerset. In April 1640, he was elected Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis in the Short Parliament. He was elected MP for Bridport in the Long Parliament in November 1640. He supported the King and was a Colonel in a regiment of horse. He was disabled from sitting in parliament in January 1644 and was fined £10,000 for the service of the navy in August 1644. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for two and a half years, partly as a hostage for his father. When he was set free, he had a very large gold medal struck, to commemorate his imprisonment.

In 1651, as Charles was trying to get out of England after losing the Battle of Worcester, while Charles II stayed at Trent Manor, the home of Francis Wyndham, Wyndham consulted with Strangways about finding a ship to carry Charles to France. Strangways was unable to help find a boat, but was able to provide 300 gold pieces to Charles, and encouraged Wyndham to search further in the area around Lyme (present-day Lyme Regis.)

In 1661 Strangways was elected MP for Dorset for the Cavalier Parliament remaining until his death in 1675. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gile…

Terry Foreman on 3 Jun 2012  •  Link

Strangways was a great drinker and smoker and friend of Sir John Robinson.

L&M Companion

Bill on 31 Dec 2013  •  Link

This worthy gentleman, who descended from one os the most ancient and respectable families in Dorsetshire, was representative in parliament for that county, and one of the privy council to Charles II. In the time of the civil war, he had the command of a regiment in that part . of the royal army which acted under prince Maurice in the West. In 1645, he was imprisoned in the Tower for his active loyalty, where he continued in patient confinement for two years, and upwards of six months. There is a fine medallion of him, struck upon this occasion; on the reverse of which is represented that part of the Tower which is called Cæsar's; with this inscription, Decufque adversa dederunt. When Charles fled into the West, in disguise, after the-battle of Worcester, he sent him three hundred broad pieces; which were, perhaps, the most seasonable present that the royal fugitive ever received. But this was but a small part of the sum which is to be placed to the account of his loyalty; as the house of Strangeways paid no less than 35,000l. for its attachment to the crown. Ob. 1675.
---A Biographical History of England. J. Granger, 1779.