History

George Stradling and his wife Margaret are buried in the north aisle of the nave of the Abbey but only Margaret's small stone is visible. It reads “Mrs M. Stradling 1681” (the stone is near the modern one to Lord Florey). The original gravestone was taken up in the 19th century when the floor was repaired. This inscription read “Here Lyeth the Body of Margaret Stradling wife to Dr George Stradling, Prebendary of this Church, who died Sept.19 A.D.1681. Also the body of the said George Stradling who departed this life April ye 18th 1688”.

George was the eighth and youngest son of Sir John Stradling and Elizabeth Gage (dau.of Edward Gage of Firle in Sussex). He was born in south Wales at St Donat's castle. In the English Civil War George fought for the King in the regiment commanded by his brother Sir Edward. He was ordained in 1660 and became chaplain to the bishop of London. He then served at St Paul’s Cathedral in London and was a Canon of Westminster from 1663-1688. Later he became Dean of Chichester Cathedral. Margaret was daughter of Sir William Salter, who held the post of Carver to King Charles I, and widow of Sir William Smith. She married George on 3 Nov 1666.  She was buried on 1 October 1681 and George on 24 April 1688.

Their sons were George (born 24 November and baptised in the Abbey 5 December 1671) and Gilbert. Gilbert attended Westminster School (in the precinct of the Abbey) and was buried in Christ Church cathedral, Oxford, in 1727. A daughter Margaret was baptised at the Abbey 1 July 1670 but probably died young.

A copy of the engraving of George can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library.

Further reading:

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004 (for George, his father and brothers).
“The rise of the Stradlings of St Donat’s” by R.A.Griffiths (1963).