STRAFFORD, THOMAS WENTWORTH, EARL OF, English statesman, born in
London, of an old Yorkshire family; studied at Cambridge; after some
months' travel on the Continent entered Parliament in 1614, but took no
active part in affairs till 1621; he took sides at first with the party
for freedom, but in 1622 felt compelled to side with the king, to his
elevation of greater and greater influence as his counsellor; his policy,
named "Thorough," was to establish a strong Government with the king at
the head, and to put down with a strong hand all opposition to the royal
authority; appointed Lord-Deputy in Ireland in 1633, he did all he could
to increase the royal resources, and was at length, in 1640, exalted to
the Lord-Lieutenancy, being at the same time created Earl of Strafford;
he had risen by this time to be the chief adviser of the king, and was
held responsible for his arbitrary policy; after the meeting of the Long
Parliament he was impeached for high treason; the impeachment seemed
likely to fail, when a Bill of Attainder was produced; to this the king
refused his assent, but he had to yield to the excitement his refusal
produced, and as the result Strafford was beheaded on Tower Hill
(1593-1641).

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS (507, of which 150 are Chinese), British colony
in the East Indies, embracing the British possessions in the Malay
Peninsula (on the Strait of Malacca), Singapore, Malacca, Penang, and the
Keeling Islands and Christmas Island; were under the jurisdiction of the
Governor-General of India till 1867, in which year they passed under the
control of the Colonial Office at home.

STRALSUND (28), a fortified seaport of North Prussia, on Strela
Sound, opposite the island of Ruegen, in the Baltic, and 66 m. NW. of
Stettin, forms of itself an islet, and is connected with the mainland
(Pomerania) by bridges; is a quaint old town, dating back to the 13th
century; figures often in the wars of Prussia, and is now a place of
considerable commercial importance.

STRANGFORD, PERCY C. S. SMYTHE, VISCOUNT, diplomatist; graduated at
Trinity College, Dublin, in 1800; entered the diplomatic service, and in
the following year succeeded to the title; was ambassador to Portugal,
Sweden, Turkey, and Russia; translated the "Rimas" of Camoens, and was
raised to the peerage (1825) as Baron Penshurst (1780-1855).

STRANGFORD, PERCY E. F. W. SMYTHE, son of preceding, diplomatist and
noted philologist, born at St. Petersbur