Richard Lestrange

He was the second son of Sir Thomas le Strange and Anne Vaux, daughter of Nicholas Vaux, 1st Baron Vaux of Harrowden,^[2] making him a first cousin of Katherine Parr. His brother, Nicholas Lestrange, was also an MP, who represented Castle Rising, Norfolk and King's Lynn. He was related to William FitzWilliam, but their exact connection is unrecorded.

He married Anne^[3] (or Dorothy^[4]) Astley and they had one son, Thomas.

According to The Astleys of Maidstone by Robert H. Goodsall, Anne (or Dorothy) was the daughter of John Astley and his wife Frances, daughter of John of Sittingbourne, Kent.^[3] She was their second child and second daughter.^[5] Anne's (or Dorothy's) grandmother, Frances's mother^[5] and the wife of John Cheney of Sittingbourne was Anne Sibilles, later Mistress Poyntz,^[6][7] who was Mother of the Maids in 1553.^[8] John Cheney, Esq. of Sittingborne, in the beginning of King Henry VIII's reign, gave the manor of Ufton in marriage with his daughter Frances to John Astley, esq. of Norfolk, the only son of Thomas Astley, esq. of Hill Morton and Melton Constable, in Norfolk, by his first wife Anne.^[9] Anne's (or Dorothy's) paternal grandparents were Thomas Astley of Melton Constable and his first wife Anne Boughton, daughter of Edward Boughton of Lawford, Warwickshire. Anne (or Dorothy) was a niece of John Astley and a niece-by-marriage of Kat Ashley, and the aunt of Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading.^{[3][10][11][12]}

Richard Lestrange's descendants settled at Castle Strange, County Roscommon.^[2]

He was Mayor of Waterford 1581–2 and 1588–9. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Horsham in 1559 and for King's Lynn in 1563. He was an early supporter of the rights of Mary I of England.^[2]

He probably secured election through his brother Nicholas, who was Chamberlain to the Duke of Norfolk; both Horsham and King's Lynn were controlled by the Duke.^[2]