Roger L'Estrange
| Sir Roger L'Estrange | |
|---|---|
Portrait of L'Estrange by John Michael Wright, c. 1680.
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| Member of Parliament for Winchester |
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In office 1685–1689 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
17 December 1616 Hunstanton |
| Died | 11 December 1704 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | English |
| Political party | Tory |
| Relations |
Hamon le Strange (father) Hamon L'Estrange (brother) |
| Alma mater | Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge |
| Occupation |
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| Religion | High Anglican |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | English Royalist |
Hamon le Strange (father)
Sir Roger L'Estrange (17 December 1616 – 11 December 1704) was an English pamphleteer, author and staunch defender of Royalist claims. L'Estrange was involved in political controversy throughout his life. Perhaps his best known polemical pamphlet was An Account of the Growth of Knavery, which ruthlessly attacked the parliamentary opposition, placing them as "dissenting fanatics" and truly beyond the pale.
Roger L'Estrange was born in Hunstanton, Norfolk, the youngest son of Sir Hamon L'Estrange. Sir Hamon served as Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk, and was allied to the Dukes of Norfolk, serving as a Member of Parliament in a seat under their control.
In 1639, both father and son fought in the Bishops' Wars against the Scots. They later fought the Royalist side in the English Civil War. In 1643, the two led a failed conspiracy whose purpose was place the town of Lynn under control of the king. Roger L'Estrange's subsequent activities as a Royalist conspirator lead to him spending time in prison, under sentence of death. He later played a leading role in the 1648 Royalist uprising in Kent. This was defeated by parliamentarian troops and he fled to the Continent, finding refuge in Holland.
In 1653, he returned to England, with a special pardon by Oliver Cromwell and lived quietly, maintaining a low profile. By 1659, however, he was making his presence as a Royalist known. He printed several pamphlets supporting a return of Charles II and attacked various Commonwealth writers, including John Milton in a pamphlet titled No Blinde Guides.
As a reward for his propaganda, L'Estrange was granted a warrant to seize seditious books or pamphlets in 1662 and in recognition of his Considerations and Proposals in Order to the Regulation of the Press he was appointed Surveyor of the Imprimery (Printing Press) the following year. Thereafter, also appointed Licenser of the Press, he retained both positions until the lapse of the Licensing of the Press Act in 1679. The latter was not, however, a continuous appointment. At one time, L'Estrange was deprived of his post as Licenser by Joseph Williamson; but when anti-Royalist pamphleteering began to turn the city against the king, L'Estrange was recalled to this position.
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Wikipedia