John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever
John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever (also: John Jacob Astor V, born May 20, 1886 in New York City , † July 19, 1971 in Cannes ) was the first holder of the title Baron Astor of Hever . His parents were William Waldorf Astor , 1st Viscount Astor, and Mary Dahlgren Paul. With his descendants he founded the branch of the Astor family in Great Britain.
Life
He graduated from Eton College and earned the rank of officer in the 1st Life Guards in 1906. Astor and Vane Pennell won a gold medal in rackets in men's doubles and a bronze medal in singles at the 1908 Summer Olympics . From 1911 to 1914 he served as an adjutant to Baron Hardinge, Viceroy of India . He fought in World War I and was wounded twice. He was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor award (Chevalier Legion of Honor).
From 1922 to 1945, the Dover constituency was elected to represent the Conservative Party in the House of Commons . From 1922 to 1959 he owned the Times . 1940-1944 he was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Battalion, City of London, Home Guard. From 1929 to 1952 he held the post of Justice of the Peace (JP) for Kent.
He was Honorary Colonel of the Kent and Sussex Royal Guard Artillery, Territorial Army from 1927 to 1946 and Honorary Colonel of the 23rd London Regiment, Territorial Army from 1928 to 1949.
Between 1934 and 1960 he was director of Hambros Privatbank and between 1942 and 1952 he was director of Barclays Bank . He was also Vice-Chairman between 1942 and 1952 and Chairman of Phoenix Versicherung / Insurance between 1952 and 1958 . From 1929 to 1946 he was one of the directors of the Great Western Railway .
On January 21, 1956, he was appointed 1st Baron Astor of Hever, of Hever Castle , Kent, UK.
family
He married Lady Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, daughter of Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto and Lady Mary Caroline Gray, on August 28, 1916. He was the father of Gavin Astor and the grandfather of John Astor . They had three sons:
- Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever b. June 1, 1918, † 1984
- Lt.-Col. Hon. Hugh Waldorf Astor b. November 20, 1920 † June 7, 1999
- Hon. John Astor b. September 26, 1923, † 1987
source
- Lt.-Col. John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever on thepeerage.com , accessed August 20, 2015.
Web links
- Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (1879-1952), newspaper proprietor in the National Portrait Gallery
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Title created |
Baron Astor of Hever 1956-1971 |
Gavin Astor |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Astor, John Jacob, 1st Baron Astor of Hever |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Astor, John Jacob V. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British businessman and politician, Member of the House of Commons, peer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 20, 1886 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 19, 1971 |
| Place of death | Cannes |