"Strange" Legacy: A Brief History of the Strang Family

Taken from https://www.barrygriffin.com/surname-maps/irish/STRANG/

History of the Surname Strange

In the Middle Ages (500 BC to 1450 AD), the vast majority of people never traveled more than 30 miles from the place of their birth. Travel and emigration were reserved for the nobility, by and large.

The surname “Strange” was derived from the Old French word estrange, meaning “foreign,” a nickname in the Old French. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, "nickname" surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name and could describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. The Old French nickname Strang, meant "stranger." “Strang(e)” would have been given to someone who was new in the village or parish. These early relatives were likely of noble birth and/or wealthy because of their ability to travel and the fact that Stranges had multiple crests or coats of arms (which a peasant or merchant would not have).

Beginnings in France/Brittany

The name Strang(e) is associated with the Bretons, a culture from the peninsula of Brittany, in the northwest of France. Formerly known as Armorica, a possession of the Roman Empire, this land consists of a plateau with a deeply indented coast and is broken by hills in the west. However, the region was renamed Britannia Minor by the Romans, following the emigration of six thousand Britons across the English Channel, an event which took place at the behest of the Roman Commander in Britain.

Spelling Variations

The Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, and therefore, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled “Estang,” “L’estrang,” “Strange,” “Strang,” “Straunge,” “Streing,” “Strong,” “Stronge” and other ways.

Handwritten page taken from Scottish census in 1861. http://www.quidnunc.co.nz/family/STRANG_census_1861.html

Stranges in Great Britain

The surname “le Strange” was first found in Derbyshire (England) where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Pevell's Castle in the peak of Derbyshire. Guido le Strange, son of the Duke of Brittany was present at a joust with Owen, Prince of Wales and the Scottish Prince. Guido le Strange was ancestor of the various baronial houses of L'Strange and Strange. "The church [in Wellesbourn-Hastings in Warwickshire] is partly Norman, and partly in the early English style, with a tower of later character, and contains a monument to the memory of Sir Thomas le Strange, lord-lieutenant of Ireland in the reign of Henry VI." (Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.)

Roger Le Strange (died 1311), was an early English jurist, "a descendant of Guy Le Strange, who is thought to have been a younger son of Hoel II, Duke of Brittany (1066-1084). He was sheriff of Yorkshire during the last two years of the reign of Henry III, and the first two of that of Edward I. " (Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print)

In April, 1861, a census taken in Glasgow, Scotland shows a partial listing of Strang family members: Isabella, William, George, Daniel and David, as well as Isabella (daughter). (see image of handwritten page from census)

Migration to Ireland, Australia and the Americas

Prevalence of Strang name. Taken from https://www.mynamestats.com/Last-Names/S/ST/STRANG/index.html

For the next two or three centuries the surname Strang flourished and its holders played important roles in local politics and in the affairs of England. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries England was ravaged by religious conflict (Catholic vs. Protestant). Many Protestant families were "encouraged" to migrate to Australia, the Carolinas, and the West Indies. Protestant families were also freely encouraged to move to Ireland and were granted lands, previously owned by the Catholic Irish, either for free or for a very nominal sum. In 1890, a birth census of English families in Ireland was taken, and from that census, it was estimated that there were 269 people bearing the surname Strange throughout Ireland. In the United States, there were estimated 2,487 people with the name. (https://namecensus.com/most_common_surnames.htm)

According to MyNameStats, as of July 2017, there are an estimated 6,008 people named “Strang” in the United States of America (https://www.mynamestats.com/Last-Names/S/ST/STRANG/index.html), or about 1.88 Strangs per 100,000 people. (I believe this number refers only to those whose last name is “Strang” and would therefore not include any of the other spellings in that count, so it is likely the extended Strang(e) family is much bigger than 6,000 people.)

Strang Family Crests and Motto

According to House of Names, Clan Strange had five versions of its crest and two versions of its motto, depending on the historical time period and country of use. (Read the PDF of the Strang Family History from House of Names). First motto (English): Stet Fortuna Domus: “The Good Fortune of the House Stands.” Second motto (Scottish): Dulce Quod Utile: “That Which Is Sweet Is Useful.” It is interesting to note that later documents about the Strang family in France mention that they were wine makers and sellers.)

The Strang Geneaology by Josephine Frost (published circa 1940) also shows a French version for the L’Estrange family and its motto: Memento Mei: “Remember Me.” (Read the book as a PDF here.) (Thanks, Gary & Sally Baker for this info!)

Buy Items with the Strange Family’s English Crest!

As part of the Strang Family Gathering being held in Ogle County, Illinois in July, 2022, we’ve made up some branded items using the Strange Family’s English crest with the motto “stet fortuna domus.” Choose from over 100 items including coffee mugs, T-shirts, canvas tote bags, baseball caps, wall clocks, jewelry, and much, much more. Visit the Strang Family Store on Café Press to purchase logo items!

This one’s not part of our official collection, but we love this T-shirt created by an unknown (but doubtless related) Strang!

Notable Strangs Throughout History

There have been many notable members of the Strang family throughout history:

During the Middle Ages there were Fulk le Strange, 1st Baron Strange of Blackmere (1267-1324) (whose inverted arms of a silver shield with two red lions became part of the family crest); John le Strange, 2nd Baron Strange of Blackmere (1305-1349); Fulk le Strange, 3rd Baron Strange of Blackmere (1320-1349); John le Strange, 4th Baron Strange of Blackmere (1332-1361); and John le Strange, 5th Baron Strange of Blackmere (1353-1375). Richard Strange (1611-1682) was an English Jesuit, born in Northumberland in 1611.

In the 1600s, and 1700s, the New World beckoned the adventuresome. For many of the Irish Strangs, the gradual migration started with a trickle, ending in a flood of immigrants to the United States during the potato famine of 1845. Roger Strang, who settled in Nevis in 1660; Theo Strang, who arrived in Virginia in 1663; Mary Strang, who arrived in Virginia in 1665; Susan Strang, who landed in Virginia in 1665; Christian Strang who settled in New Jersey in 1685; Caleb and Maria Strang, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774; Jesse Strang U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784; Thomas Strang, who landed in New York in 1801; James Strang, who arrived in America in 1830; William French Strang, who arrived in North Carolina in 1840.

Daniel & Charlotte Streing

text here.

Strangs of the 19th Century

James Jesse Strang in 1856 (daguerreotype print)

Among these notable people was an ancestor of the Ogle County, Illinois Strangs: James Jesse Strang, born March 21, 1831 to Clement Strang and Abigale (James) Strang in Scipio, New York. A leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (“LDS” or Mormon Church) with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, Strang claimed that Joseph Smith named him (Strang) Smith’s successor and further, that an angel had ordained him to that office. During his 12 years tenure as Prophet, Seer and Revelator, Strang “reigned” for six years as the crowned "king" of an ecclesiastical monarchy that he established on Beaver Island in Michigan. Strang led nearly 12,000 LDS adherents, strongly rivaling Brigham Young’s flock of 50,000.

In addition to his ecclesiastical calling, Strang served one full term and part of a second as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, assisting in the organization of Manitou County. He was also at various times an attorney, educator, temperance lecturer, newspaper editor, Baptist minister, correspondent for the New York Tribune, and amateur scientist. His survey of Beaver Island's natural history was published by the Smithsonian Institution, remaining the definitive work on that subject for nearly a century, while his career in the Michigan legislature was praised even by his enemies.

James Strang was a practicing polygamist - he married five women and produced 14 children. His final wife was Phoebe Wright, whom he married less than a year before his death, and who was pregnant by Strang when he was killed. In 1856, James Jesse Strang was shot three times by disgruntled ex-church members and enemies living nearby. After Strang’s assassination, most of his followers joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, leaving the Strangite branch of the LDS church much reduced.

This short documentary “The Island of Strang” by Amanda Trudell provides a short history of the man, including his religious beliefs, theories on polygamy and his coronation to the kingship of Beaver Island. Although he was complex and often difficult man to many, Strang is also remembered as an innovator, pioneer, religious leader, and politician. It is reported that he allowed women to hold the offices of “priest” and “teacher,” invited African Americans into his church, and even mandated the conservation of land and its natural resources.

There have also been numerous books written about James Jesse Strang, including The King Strang Story: A Narrative of the Beaver Island Mormons, by Doyle C. Fitzpatrick; The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch, by Miles Harvey; The King of Beaver, and Beaver Lights - From "Mackinac and Lake Stories," 1899, by Mary Hartwell Catherwood; King of Beaver Island: The Life and Assassination of James Jesse Strang, by Roger Van Noord; and The King of Beaver Island, by Charles K. Backus.

The Strang Family in Ogle County, Illinois

In September 1835, Charles Elam Strang was born to Sylvanus Strang and Catherine Amelia (Gearhart) Strang. He was the middle son of three: William Gearhart Strang (1813-1891), Charles Elam Strang (1835-1906) and Sylvanus Valentine Colson Strang (1843-1921). Charles Elam married Sarah E. (Hart) and had two sons: Charles Benton Strang (1864-1953) and John Francis Strang (1882-1976). (https://peoplelegacy.com/charles_elam_strang-610a15)

Wedding photo of Mabel and John Francis “Frank” Strang, May 20, 1905

When Sarah Hart Strang died in 1896, Charles took the boys to Byron where they lived (chastely) in a brothel, earning their room and board by cleaning the spittoons and doing other chores. Charles, a wolf trapper and hunter, was often gone for weeks at a time, and the boys spent their days fishing, swimming in the Rock River, and camping on a small island in the center. According to Margaret (Strang Baker) Hoffman (youngest daughter of John Francis Strang), her father and uncle were warned by their father Charles Elam not to swim in that river because of the dangerous currents, and that their father would teach them to swim when he next returned home.

When Charles returned from trapping, he took the boys out to the river, where they both dived in and swam easily to their camp on the little island. Both boys got a whipping and a stern lecture to “mind your pa,” but all was soon forgiven and the little family flourished. Charles Elam Strang died in 1906 and was buried in Byron, Illinois at Byron Cemetery. (https://peoplelegacy.com/john_francis_frank_strang-2Y3b6s)

Descendants of John Francis Strang and Mabel (Reints) Strang

On May 20, 1905, the now-23-year-old John Francis “Frank” Strang married Mabel Reints (1884-1959) in Rockford, Illinois. Mabel Reints was the daughter of Conrad Reints (1859-1939) and Elizabeth Lambert (1862-1895).

The Lindenwood Strangs: Standing, L to R: Cora (“Coe”), Ruth (“Mutt”), Francis (“Flick”), Vera, Willard (“Bill”), Margaret (“Marg”), Calvin (“Duke”), Edna, Marie, Grace (“Peg”). Sitting, L to R: Iris, Fern, Edythe (“Ede”), and Estelle (“Stella”). About 1945. (?)

The growing family settled in Lindenwood, where Frank worked as a farmer and blacksmith. The family had one of the earliest automobiles in the area - a man on his way out from Chicago stopped at Frank’s smithy to see if he could fix the car - and when he was told “No,” traded the car for a good horse!

The Strang genes are strong: over the course of Frank and Mabel’s 54-year marriage they had 15 children: Marie Frances (1906-2009), Estelle Elizabeth (1907-1999), Cora Lucinda (1909-1979), Clarence Conrad (1910-1911), Edna Blanche (1911-1974), Ruth Ida (1913-2011), Vera Lucille (1914-2013), Grace Hester (1916-2006), Fern Louella (1918-1998), Iris Mae (1920-2015), Edythe LaVerne (1921-2006), Willard Fred (1924-2004), Calvin Earl (1925-2007), Margaret Irene (1927-2020) and Francis Elmer (1928-2002).

The family was always close, and because of the large age difference between the older children (like Marie and Stella, who began to marry and have children of their own as their mother Mabel was still bearing their younger siblings) and the younger ones, there were always plenty of people around to help with chores, join in fun and games, and lots of children playing on the farm. My grandmother — the youngest girl, Margaret Irene (Baker) Hoffman — returned home to live with and care for her parents, and Frank Strang lived with her in Davis Junction, Illinois after she married Melvin W. Hoffman in 1961. John Francis “Frank” Strang died in 1976 at the age of 94.

The 21st Century: The Ogle County Strangs Endure

Four generations of Strangs in 1971: father and daughter, father and daughter. Left to right: Frank Strang (aged about 93) and his youngest daughter, Margaret Irene (Baker) Hoffman (age 44), with her eldest son, John Allen Baker (aged 24) and his newborn daughter, Michele Dawn Baker (about 6 months).

The 14 surviving children of John Francis “Frank” Strang themselves had 33 children: Curt Douglas Baker (1954-), Barbara Lynn Baker (1949-), Gary Michael Baker (1950-), Doris Jean Baker (1936-), John Allen Baker (1947-2021), Bradley Boyd Beach (1941-), Darrell Francis Beach (1932-), Judith Ellen Beach (1944-), Raynold Lee Beach (1931-), Thomas Eugene Beach (1940-), Wayne Allen Beach (1938-), Carol Marie Dunahoo (1945-), Glen Lee Dunahoo (1935-), Lois Ann Dunahoo (1926-), David Scott Hoffman (1962-), Richard Floyd Harrolle (1934-), Diana Lee Hopkins (1952-), Gordon Francis Hopkins (1948-), Mary Ann Hopkins (1941-), Dallas Alanson "Lant" Huntley (1939-), Donald Eugene Huntley (1937-), Ruth Ethel McQueen (1940-), Christine Marie Strang (1961-), Doris Mabel Strang (1957-), Flicka Strang (1955-), John Francis II Strang (1953-), Karen Lorraine Strang (1955-), Lisa Ann Strang (1966-), Mary Margaret Strang (1959-), Steven Conrad Strang (1950-), Susan Kay Strang (1949-), Tonia Lea Strang (1950-), and Willard Duane Strang (1951-).

The Final, Strange-Shaped Puzzle Piece

In 1968, John Allen Baker (eldest son of Margaret Irene Strang Baker Hoffman) married Frances Louise Saathoff of Stillman Valley and in 1970, they had a daughter, Michele Dawn Baker (me!). In 1977 they adopted a son, Kevin Allen Baker. John and Fran divorced, and John later married Susan Foster. They adopted two children: Patrick Francis Baker and Dylan Adlai Baker.

I have no children, so the “Strange legacy” of John Baker’s little branch ends here… But I rest easy knowing that my dozens of cousins and hundreds of extended family members carry on the Strang name.

Dad