Edward Stradling, 5th Baronet

Coat of arms of the Stradling family

Sir Edward Stradling, 5th Baronet (* around 1672; † April 5, 1735 in St Donat's Castle ) was a British nobleman and politician.

Origin and education

Edward Stradling came from the Stradling family , an old gentry family from Glamorgan . He was the second but eldest surviving son of Sir Edward Stradling, 4th Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Hungerford . He was baptized on April 11, 1672. From July 18, 1684, he studied at Christ Church College , Oxford , but in September 1685, following the death of his father, he was heir to the title of Baronet , of St Donat’s in the County of Glamorgan , and the family estates in South Wales and South West England.

Political activity

Stradling's father had supported the Stuart Restoration as a conservative royalist , and Edward Stradling was also conservative. With the support of his influential brother-in-law Thomas Mansel of Margam Abbey , who did not want to run himself because of a trip abroad, Stradling was elected as a member of Parliament for Cardiff in the general election in 1698 . In the House of Commons he was included in the Country Party , but he only partially attended the sessions of parliament and committees. On February 11, 1699, he was given a six-week leave of absence due to his wife's illness. In early 1700, however, he supported the privilege of the merchant ship Martha of Margam , which apparently belonged to his brother-in-law Mansel. He was re-elected in the general election in January 1701, but before the election in December 1701 there was a dispute between Mansel and his relative of the same name, Thomas Mansel from Briton Ferry . This was solved by the fact that Thomas Mansel from Briton Ferry in Cardiff ran as a candidate, while Thomas Mansel from Margam ran for Glamorgan. Stradling, on the other hand, had to refrain from running again, which led to tensions between him and his brother-in-law. These were exacerbated by a dispute over the payment of Stradling's wife's dowry and turned into open hostility when Mansel sued Stradling for alleged misappropriation of a deed. In the general election in 1705 Stradling had the chance to alliance with the Duke of Beaufort , Viscount Windsor and Humphrey Mackworth against Mansel, which he turned down. In the election, Thomas Mansel from Briton Ferry was re-elected, but he died shortly afterwards. In the by-election now due in February 1706, Thomas Mansel from Margam did not nominate his brother-in-law Stradling, but the Whig Sir John Aubrey . Now Stradling allied himself with Mansel's opponents, who offered him the prospect of making him a candidate for Cardiff in the next election. Viscount Windsor as Constable of Cardiff Castle , who thus also held the office of Mayor, appointed him as his deputy to promote his candidacy. Immediately before the election of 1708, however, the anti-Mansel alliance broke when Beaufort and Mansel came closer. Then Stradling also reconciled with his brother-in-law, but a few days later the two were deeply divided again. Stradling maintained his candidacy in Cardiff, but Aubrey was re-elected in the election.

From 1709 to 1710 Stradling served as the sheriff of Glamorgan. His relationship with Mansel had improved so much that he should run with his support in the general election in 1710 as a candidate for Cardiff. However, there were concerns about whether he was allowed to run as sheriff at all, but ultimately it was decided in his favor. After his election, Stradling was added to the Tories in the House of Commons , who campaigned for an end to British participation in the War of the Spanish Succession . In January 1712 he is said to have supported accusations against the Duke of Marlborough , but little else is known about his activities in the House of Commons. Nevertheless, he was re-elected unchallenged in the next elections in September 1713 and February 1715. Stradling now voted in all votes with the opposition against the government led by Robert Walpole . In addition he was one of the trustees for the possessions of the Jacobite David Morgan from Penygraig, who had fled into exile . In 1721 he was named to the Pretender as a likely supporter of an uprising, but in fact neither Stradling nor his children were involved in Jacobite conspiracies. In the general election in 1722, he decided against running again in favor of his eldest son. Instead he took over the administration of Ogmore for the Duchy of Lancaster and in 1724 the post of Constable of Cardiff. In 1733 he resigned from these offices.

Marriage and offspring

Stradling had married Elizabeth Mansel († 1738), a daughter of Sir Edward Mansel , on June 5, 1694 . She was a distant cousin of his and brought a rich dowry of £ 5,600 with her into the marriage. He had two sons with her:

• Edward Stradling (1699-1726)
• Sir Thomas Stradling, 6th Baronet (1710–1738)

Stradling was a traditional Welshman who had a traditional Welsh bard write a song of praise for the birth of his first son Edward. When his son died in 1726, he commissioned a lament. Upon his death, his younger son Thomas became heir to the family's title and possessions. However, he was fatally wounded in a duel in France just three years later. With his death, the main line of the Stradlings and the title Baronet became extinct. The family's possessions initially fell to Stradling's nephew Bussy Mansel . After his death there was a long-term inheritance dispute before the property was divided among three heirs by parliamentary resolution.

Literature and web links

• Evan David Jones: STRADLING family of Glamorganshire . In: Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 1959.
• DW Hayton: STRADLING, Sir Edward, 5th Bt. (1672–1735), of St. Donat's Castle, Glam. (History of Parliament online, Ref Volumes: 1690-1715)
• Peter DG Thomas: STRADLING, Sir Edward, 5th Bt. (? 1672–1735), of St. Donat's Castle, Glam. (History of Parliament online, Ref Volumes: 1715–1754)
• Cracroft's Peerage: Stradling, of St Donat's, co. Glamorgan (E Baronet, 1611–1738)

predecessor	title	successor
Edward Stradling	Baronet, of St Donat's around 1685–1735	Thomas Stradling