He became Lord of Merksem on 23 September 1561. Van Stralen was mayor of Antwerp from 1555 to 1557, in 1561 and in 1565. After the
Iconoclastic Fury he became a refugee in Germany. The
Duke of Alva ordered his arrest. He was a friend and correspondent of
William the Silent, and the Spanish government suspected him of treason. His letters were confiscated by the Count of Lodron. In 1565 he acquired his main residence,
Huysinge de Groote Robijn. After his execution his complete fortune, 400,000 guilders and the lordship, were forfeited to the Spanish Crown. == Execution ==