[2] The son of William Strange of Jersey and Abingdon, a wine merchant, William Alder Strange was educated at Christ's Hospital, London, where he was Senior Grecian, John Roysse's Free School in Abingdon-on-Thames (now Abingdon School),[3] and Pembroke College, Oxford, where he held a college scholarship.

[4] Strange was appointed as a master at the Liverpool Royal Institution in 1833, then served as headmaster of Abingdon School from 1840 to 1868.

[5][3][4] Augustus Hare described a visit in 1857: "...we had lunch with the Head-master of the Grammar School, who, as soon as it was over, apologised for leaving us because he had got 'to wallop so many boys'.

"[6] After retiring from Abingdon, he was vicar of Bishop Middleham in County Durham from 1868 to 1874.

[7] He published Cards on Logic, a series of his Sermons and was also a contributor to The Christian Annotator.