#15350, William STRODE (III)

By marrying Elizabeth Courtenay (she was not even in her teens and he was just 19) the Loughtor estate (1/3 mile north-east of Newnham) came into the Strode family.  A new mansion was built around 1700 and named Newnham Park.  It is the home of David Cobbold and his family to this day.  Elizabeth's father had died when she was still a baby and her mother, Loane had taken a second husband, Humphrey Prideaux.  However the decision for Elizabeth to marry so young may well have been prompted by her mother being unwell, for she died on 31st October 1523 less than a week after her daughter's wedding.  

Richard remained at Newnham until his death three weeks before Christmas in 1552 and his widow Agnes stayed there until she died a little under a year later.  Willam and Elizabeth, who prior to that time had been living at the old manor house at Loughtor, moved into Newnham until William's death in the summer of 1579.  His will left all his wearing apparel to his youngest son, Thomas whilst everything else went to his wife Elizabeth.  His eldest son, Richard succeeded to the now greatly extended Strode estates.  There are understood to be 18 children (11 sons and 7 daughters) born to what is now Plympton's foremost family.

William became an ardent Protestant (probably one of the first to adopt the New Faith [Stevens]).  In 1549 aged 45 he was made Governor of that small but strategic island in Plymouth Sound, which was then known as St. Nicholas Island and he was commended for his good work on its fortifications.