John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever DL
(20 May 1886 – 19 July 1971) was a British
military officer, statesman, a newspaper proprietor, and a member of the prominent Astor family
. He is sometimes referred to as John Jacob Astor V, especially in standard genealogies of the Astor family.
Lord Astor of Hever was born in New York City
in 1886, the fourth child of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor
(1848–1919) and Mary Dahlgren Paul (1858–1894). He was a boy of five when his family left New York to live in England
. He was raised on an estate purchased by his father at Cliveden-on-Thames
in Buckinghamshire
and was educated at Eton College
and at New College, Oxford
.
in rackets
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
, winning the gold medal in the men's doubles competition together with Vane Pennell
, and winning bronze in the men's singles event.
and was Aide-de-Camp to Baron Hardinge
, Viceroy of India between 1911 and 1914. He served in the British army during World War I
, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur
as a Chevalier
. He held the office of Lieutenant of the City of London
in 1926. He was Honorary Colonel of the Kent and Sussex Royal Guard Artillery, between 1927 and 1946 and Honorary Colonel of the 23rd London Regiment, between 1928 and 1949. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Kent from 1936 to 1962 and was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Battalion, City of London (Home Guard) between 1940 and 1944.
, (28 May 1889 – 3 January 1965), the daughter of the 4th Earl of Minto. They had three children:
between 1929 and 1946. He held the office of Justice of the Peace
for Kent between 1929 and 1962. He was a director of Hambros Bank
between 1934 and 1960. He was Vice-Chairman of Phoenix Insurance between 1941 and 1952 and Chairman of between 1952 and 1958. He was a director of Barclays Bank between 1942 and 1952.
On his father's death in 1919, John Astor inherited Hever Castle
near Edenbridge
, Kent
where he lived the life of an English country gentleman. In 1922, he purchased The Times
newspaper following the death of its owner, Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe
. During his tenure as head of The Times, John Astor had the newspaper sponsor Edmund Hillary
's expedition that made the first successful climb to the summit of Mount Everest
. Astor remained chairman of the paper until 1959 when his son Gavin took over. In 1966, The Times was sold to Canadian
newspaper tycoon, Roy Thomson.
In addition to his newspaper business, John Astor served in politics, as Alderman
of the London County Council
between 1922 and 1925, and in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
for 23 years as Unionist
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Dover
from 1922 to 1945. On 21 January 1956 he was created Baron Astor of Hever
, of Hever Castle, co. Kent.
, France
), selected artworks from the family's vast collection were bequeathed to the National Gallery including the prized "Thames below Westminster" by Claude Monet
.
John and Violet Astor are buried together on the grounds of Hever Castle, which, since 1983, has been owned by Broadland Properties Limited and is a major tourist attraction.
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(20 May 1886 – 19 July 1971) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military officer, statesman, a newspaper proprietor, and a member of the prominent Astor family
Astor family
The Astor family is a Anglo-American business family of German descent notable for their prominence in business, society, and politics.-Founding family members:...
. He is sometimes referred to as John Jacob Astor V, especially in standard genealogies of the Astor family.
Lord Astor of Hever was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1886, the fourth child of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor
William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor
William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor was a very wealthy American who became a British nobleman. He was a member of the prominent Astor family.-Life in United States:...
(1848–1919) and Mary Dahlgren Paul (1858–1894). He was a boy of five when his family left New York to live in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He was raised on an estate purchased by his father at Cliveden-on-Thames
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and at New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
.
Olympic Games
John Jacob Astor represented Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in rackets
Racquets (sport)
Rackets or Racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada...
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, winning the gold medal in the men's doubles competition together with Vane Pennell
Vane Pennell
Vane Hungerford Pennell was a British rackets and real tennis player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Life:Vane Pennell was educated at Eton, Charterhouse and Trinity College, Cambridge....
, and winning bronze in the men's singles event.
Army life
He served in the Life GuardsLife Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
and was Aide-de-Camp to Baron Hardinge
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916.-Background and education:...
, Viceroy of India between 1911 and 1914. He served in the British army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
as a Chevalier
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
. He held the office of Lieutenant of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
in 1926. He was Honorary Colonel of the Kent and Sussex Royal Guard Artillery, between 1927 and 1946 and Honorary Colonel of the 23rd London Regiment, between 1928 and 1949. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Kent from 1936 to 1962 and was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Battalion, City of London (Home Guard) between 1940 and 1944.
Marriage
On 28 August 1916 married Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-KynynmoundViolet Astor, Baroness Astor of Hever
Violet Astor, Lady Astor of Hever DStJ was the daughter of the 4th Earl of Minto and the wife of the 1st Baron Astor of Hever...
, (28 May 1889 – 3 January 1965), the daughter of the 4th Earl of Minto. They had three children:
- Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of HeverGavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of HeverGavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever was a British soldier, publisher, and peer. His father was John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever....
(1 June 1918 – 28 June 1984) - Lt.-Col. Hon. Hugh Waldorf Astor (20 November 1920 – 7 June 1999)
- Hon. John AstorJohn AstorFor pages relating to John Astor, see John Astor John Astor was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Newbury and member of the prominent Astor family, being the son of John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever.He was educated at Eton College and during World War II served in the Royal Air...
(26 September 1923 – 1987), MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for NewburyNewbury (UK Parliament constituency)Newbury is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returns one Member of Parliament , elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
(1964–1974)
Career
He was a director of the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
between 1929 and 1946. He held the office of Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Kent between 1929 and 1962. He was a director of Hambros Bank
Hambros Bank
Hambros Bank was a British bank based in London. The Hambros bank was a specialist in Anglo-Scandinavian business with expertise in trade finance and investment banking, and was the sole banker to the Scandinavian kingdoms for many years...
between 1934 and 1960. He was Vice-Chairman of Phoenix Insurance between 1941 and 1952 and Chairman of between 1952 and 1958. He was a director of Barclays Bank between 1942 and 1952.
On his father's death in 1919, John Astor inherited Hever Castle
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century...
near Edenbridge
Edenbridge, Kent
Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The town's name derives from Old English language "Eadhelmsbrigge" . It is located on the Kent/Surrey border on the upper floodplain of the River Medway and gives its name to the latter's tributary, the River Eden...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
where he lived the life of an English country gentleman. In 1922, he purchased The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper following the death of its owner, Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe
Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe
Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe rose from childhood poverty to become a powerful British newspaper and publishing magnate, famed for buying stolid, unprofitable newspapers and transforming them to make them lively and entertaining for the mass market.His company...
. During his tenure as head of The Times, John Astor had the newspaper sponsor Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
's expedition that made the first successful climb to the summit of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. Astor remained chairman of the paper until 1959 when his son Gavin took over. In 1966, The Times was sold to Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
newspaper tycoon, Roy Thomson.
In addition to his newspaper business, John Astor served in politics, as Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
between 1922 and 1925, and in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for 23 years as Unionist
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Dover
Dover (UK Parliament constituency)
Dover is a constituency 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.-Boundaries:...
from 1922 to 1945. On 21 January 1956 he was created Baron Astor of Hever
Baron Astor of Hever
Baron Astor of Hever, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1956 for the prominent newspaper proprietor and Conservative politician the Hon. John Jacob Astor. He was the fourth son of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor. Lord...
, of Hever Castle, co. Kent.
Death
On his death in 1971 (in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), selected artworks from the family's vast collection were bequeathed to the National Gallery including the prized "Thames below Westminster" by Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
.
John and Violet Astor are buried together on the grounds of Hever Castle, which, since 1983, has been owned by Broadland Properties Limited and is a major tourist attraction.