He was eldest son of Sir Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange and was educated at Westminster School, and on leaving in 1823 went out to his father in India, becoming a writer in the East India Company's civil service at Madras in 1825.
Strange was appointed an assistant-judge and joint criminal judge on 24 June 1831, became sub-judge at Calicut in 1843 and civil and sessions judge at Tellicherry in 1845. He was a special commissioner for investigating the Molpah disturbances in Malabar in 1852, and for inquiring into the system of judicature in the presidency of Madras in 1859, and was made judge of the high court of judicature in 1862.