[1] L'Estrange shared the Royalist views of his family, but there is no record of him taking an active part in the English Civil War.
He managed to avoid the seizure of his estates under the Commonwealth of England and died on 24 July 1655 at Hunstanton, where he was buried.
[2] L'Estrange played an active role in Norfolk society as a senior member of the county's gentry and was often present at the assizes and parliamentary elections at Norwich, as well as taking part in hunts and hawking sessions.
He was an avid observer and recorder of these interactions, and collected over 600 anecdotes which were published anonymously in Merry Passages and Jests.
The anecdotes present an unparalleled view of provincial life during the period and of the interaction between members of the gentry, as well as of the gossip of the taverns.