John Astley (courtier)
Encyclopedia
John Astley (ca. 1507 – Maidstone
, 1595) was an English courtier, Marian exile, and Master of the Jewel House. He was a Member of Parliament on many occasions.
who was married to James Boleyn
. His father was Thomas Astley of Hilmorton, Anne being his second wife.
He married in 1545 Katherine Champernowne, later known as Kat Ashley. At this point Katherine was governess to Princess Elizabeth
. Astley in Elizabeth's household met Roger Ascham
, who became a friend; he prompted Ascham's work A Report of Germany on the Emperor Charles V, and is mentioned as a dinner-party guest in the introductory section of The Scholemaster (1570).
In 1554 he was in Padua
. On the accession of Elizabeth he returned to England, and in December 1558 was appointed Master of the Jewel House and Treasurer of Her Majesty's jewels and plate. His wife Kat was appointed chief gentlewoman of the privy chamber (she died in 1565), and he was also one of the grooms of the chamber.
He obtained from the crown a grant of the mastership of the game in Enfield Chase
and park, with the office of steward and ranger of the manor of Enfield
. Accompanying Elizabeth on her visit to the University of Cambridge
in 1564, he was created M.A. In or about 1568 the queen granted him a lease in reversion of the castle
and manor of Allington, Kent
, and he also had an estate at Otterden
. He bought Maidstone Palace
and had work done to the front of the building. His death appears to have occurred about July 1595. He was 59; he and his wife Margaret are buried in Maidstone church.
:
under Henry VIII
, and relayed the doctrine of the Italian riding schools, as he and other Gentleman Pensioners had understood it, particularly on training the horse to respond to the hand. Astley was on friendly terms with Thomas Blundeville
, whose translation two decades earlier of the Ordini di cavalcare of Federico Grisone
was the first treatise on horsemanship to be published in English, and part of which had been dedicated to him. According to Smith, this is the first translation into English of the , "On horsemanship", of Xenophon
.
Astley may also have been the author of the first English translation of Il cavallerizzo by Claudio Corte, also entitled The Art of Riding, although this is more usually attributed to Thomas Bedingley.
), by whom he had a son, afterwards Sir John Astley, two other sons, and three daughters.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, 1595) was an English courtier, Marian exile, and Master of the Jewel House. He was a Member of Parliament on many occasions.
Life
He was connected to the Boleyn family through his mother Anne Wood, sister of Elizabeth Boleyn, Lady BoleynElizabeth Boleyn, Lady Boleyn
Elizabeth Boleyn, Lady Boleyn was a lady-in-waiting at the court of Henry VIII of England. Through her marriage to Sir James Boleyn, she was the aunt of Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn...
who was married to James Boleyn
James Boleyn
James Boleyn was a courtier in the reign of Henry VIII of England and chancellor of the household of his niece, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and thus the great-uncle of Elizabeth I...
. His father was Thomas Astley of Hilmorton, Anne being his second wife.
He married in 1545 Katherine Champernowne, later known as Kat Ashley. At this point Katherine was governess to Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Astley in Elizabeth's household met Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham was an English scholar and didactic writer, famous for his prose style, his promotion of the vernacular, and his theories of education...
, who became a friend; he prompted Ascham's work A Report of Germany on the Emperor Charles V, and is mentioned as a dinner-party guest in the introductory section of The Scholemaster (1570).
In 1554 he was in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
. On the accession of Elizabeth he returned to England, and in December 1558 was appointed Master of the Jewel House and Treasurer of Her Majesty's jewels and plate. His wife Kat was appointed chief gentlewoman of the privy chamber (she died in 1565), and he was also one of the grooms of the chamber.
He obtained from the crown a grant of the mastership of the game in Enfield Chase
Enfield Chase
Enfield Chase is an area in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. It was once covered by woodland and used as a royal deer park. While it is no longer officially a 'place', the Church of England Parish of St Mary Magdalene, Enfield Chase, officially holds that title, which was effectively...
and park, with the office of steward and ranger of the manor of Enfield
London Borough of Enfield
The London Borough of Enfield is the most northerly London borough and forms part of Outer London. It borders the London Boroughs of Barnet, Haringey and Waltham Forest...
. Accompanying Elizabeth on her visit to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1564, he was created M.A. In or about 1568 the queen granted him a lease in reversion of the castle
Allington Castle
Allington Castle is a stone-built moated castle in Allington, just north of Maidstone, Kent in England.-History:Allington Castle is a Grade I listed building. Much of the stonework was laid in an intricate herringbone pattern which is still visible today...
and manor of Allington, Kent
Allington, Kent
Allington is an almost entirely modern village situated alongside the sides of the A20 road west of Maidstone in Kent. It is part of the built-up area of Maidstone. It has 2 primary schools; Allington Primary and Palace Wood...
, and he also had an estate at Otterden
Otterden
Otterden is a village on the Kent Downs in the borough of Maidstone in Kent, England.-History:Otterden is mentioned in the Domesday Book under Kent in the lands belonging to Adam FitzHubert...
. He bought Maidstone Palace
Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone
The Archbishop's Palace is an historic 14th-century and 16th-century building on the east bank of the River Medway in Maidstone, Kent. Originally a home from home for travelling Archbishops from Canterbury, the building is today principally used as a venue for wedding services...
and had work done to the front of the building. His death appears to have occurred about July 1595. He was 59; he and his wife Margaret are buried in Maidstone church.
In Parliament
He represented various constituencies in the House of CommonsHouse of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
:
- ChippenhamChippenham (UK Parliament constituency)Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1547 - West LooeWest Looe (UK Parliament constituency)West Looe was a rotten borough represented in the House of Commons of England from 1535 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1797 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election...
in Mar 1553. - St AlbansSt Albans (UK Parliament constituency)St Albans is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.From 1554 to 1852 there was a...
in 1555. - CrickladeCricklade (UK Parliament constituency)Cricklade was a parliamentary constituency named after the town of Cricklade in Wiltshire.From 1295 until 1885, Cricklade was a parliamentary borough, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously to the House of Commons of...
in 1559. - BoroughbridgeBoroughbridge (UK Parliament constituency)Boroughbridge was a parliamentary borough in Yorkshire from 1553 until 1832, when it was abolished under the Great Reform Act. Throughout its existence it was represented by two Members of Parliament in the House of Commons....
in 1563. - Lyme RegisLyme Regis (UK Parliament constituency)Lyme Regis was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1868, when the borough was abolished.-1295-1629:...
in 1571 and 1572. - MaidstoneMaidstone (UK Parliament constituency)Maidstone was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The parliamentary borough of Maidstone returned two Members of Parliament from 1552 until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
in the parliaments of 29 October 1586 and 4 February 1589.
Works
Astley was the author of a work on horsemanship. It harked back to his days as a Gentleman PensionerHonourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
Her Majesty's Bodyguard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms is a bodyguard to the British Monarch. Until 17 March 1834 they were known as The Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners.-Formation:...
under Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and relayed the doctrine of the Italian riding schools, as he and other Gentleman Pensioners had understood it, particularly on training the horse to respond to the hand. Astley was on friendly terms with Thomas Blundeville
Thomas Blundeville
Thomas Blundeville was an English humanist writer and mathematician. He is known for work on logic, astronomy, education and horsemanship, as well as for translations from the Italian. His interests were both wide-ranging and directed towards practical ends, and he adapted freely a number of the...
, whose translation two decades earlier of the Ordini di cavalcare of Federico Grisone
Federico Grisone
Federico Grisone was a Neapolitan nobleman and one of the first masters of dressage and courtly riding. Referred to in his time as the "father of the art of equitation", he wrote the first book on this subject to be published in early modern Europe....
was the first treatise on horsemanship to be published in English, and part of which had been dedicated to him. According to Smith, this is the first translation into English of the , "On horsemanship", of Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
.
Astley may also have been the author of the first English translation of Il cavallerizzo by Claudio Corte, also entitled The Art of Riding, although this is more usually attributed to Thomas Bedingley.
Published works
- The Art of Riding, set foorth in a breefe treatise, with a due interpretation of certeine places alledged out of Xenophon, and Gryson, very expert and excellent horsemen; wherein also the true vse of the hand by the said Grysons rules and precepts is speciallie touched; and how the author of this present worke hath put the same in practise; also what profit men may reape thereby; without the knowledge whereof, all the residue of the art of riding is but vaine. Lastlie, is added a short discourse of the chaine or cauezzan, the trench, and the martingale: written by a gentleman of great skill and long experience in the said art (London: Henrie Denham, 1584)
- (authorship dubious)The Art of Riding, conteining diverse necessary Instruction, Demonstrations, Helps and Corrections, apperteining to Horsemanship, not heretofore expressed by anie other author; written at large in the Italian Toong, by Master Claudio Corte, a man most excellent in this Art. Here brieflie reduced into certeine English Discourses to the benefit of Gentlemen desirous of such knowledge (London, 1584)
- Epistle to Roger Ascham, prefixed to AschamRoger AschamRoger Ascham was an English scholar and didactic writer, famous for his prose style, his promotion of the vernacular, and his theories of education...
's The Affairs of Germany in the Reign of the Emperour Charles..., 1552
Family
By his first wife Katherine, daughter of Sir Philip Champernowne of Devonshire, he had no issue. His second wife was Margaret, daughter of Thomas Lord Grey (a son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of DorsetThomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, KG, KB was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner, the grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, briefly Queen of England.-Early life:...
), by whom he had a son, afterwards Sir John Astley, two other sons, and three daughters.