Astor family

Founding family members

John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor) was the youngest of four sons born to butcher Johann Jacob Astor (1724–1816) and Maria Magdalena vom Berg (1730–1764). John and his eldest brother George (born Georg) (1752–1813), known as 'George & John Astor', were flute makers, who came to England c. 1778 from Walldorf, Germany. While working in England, he learned to speak English and anglicized his name. In 1783, John Jacob left for Baltimore, Maryland, and was active first as a dealer in woodwind instruments, then in New York as a merchant in furs, pianos, and real estate. After moving to New York, John met and married Sarah Cox Todd (1762–1842). Sarah was the daughter of Scottish immigrants Adam Todd and Sarah Cox. She worked along side her husband as a consultant, and was accused of witchcraft after her success with the company in 1817. The accusations never lead to legal action. They had eight children, including occasional poet John Jacob Astor, Jr. (1791–1869) and real estate businessman William Backhouse Astor, Sr. (1792–1875).

John Jacob's fur trading company established a Columbia River trading post at Fort Astoria in 1811, the first United States community on the Pacific coast. He financed the overland Astor Expedition in 1810–1812 to reach the outpost, which was in the then-disputed Oregon Country. Control of Fort Astoria played a key role in English and American territorial claims on the region. John and George's brother Henry (born Heinrich) (1754–1833) also emigrated to America. He was a horse racing enthusiast, and purchased a thoroughbred named Messenger, who had been brought from England to America in 1788. The horse became the founding sire of all Standardbred horses in the United States today. The third brother Melchior remained in Germany. During the 19th century, the Astors became one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Toward the end of that century, some of the family moved to England and achieved high prominence there. During the 20th century, the number of American Astors began to decline, but their legacy lives on in their many public works including the New York Public Library. English descendants of the Astors hold two hereditary peerages: Viscount and Baron.

While many of Astor members had joined to the Episcopal Church, John Jacob Astor remained a member of the Reformed congregation to his death.

Family namesake places

For many years, the members of the Astor family were known as "the landlords of New York". Their New York City namesakes are the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, an Astor Row, Astor Court, Astor Place, and Astor Avenue in the Bronx, where the Astors used to stable horses. The neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, is named after the family as well.

Beyond New York City, the Astor family name is imprinted in a great deal of United States history and geography. There are towns of Astor in the states of Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and Kansas and there are Astorias in Illinois, Missouri and Oregon. There is a neighborhood called Astor Park just south of downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin. At the heart of this neighborhood is a park (also called "Astor Park"); the Astor family donated this land for the building of a trade school.

The Astors were also prominent on Mackinac Island, Michigan, and Newport, Rhode Island, with their summer house, Beechwood. At Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, there are the Lord and Lady Astor Suites; the hotel salon is called Astor's.

Family tree

Listed by ancestry/generation:

The following list uses the d'Aboville numbering system with the leading 1 omitted. The generation is indicated by the number of digits in the descendant's index number: 1. Child, 2. Grandchild, 3. Great-grandchild, 4. Great-great-grandchild, etc.

Johann Jacob Astor (1724–1816), butcher, married Maria Magdalena Vorfelder (1730–1766)

1 George Peter Astor, Sr. (born Georg Peter Astor) (1752–1813), flute maker2 Henry Astor I (born Heinrich Astor) (1754–1833), butcher and horse racing enthusiast3 Melchior Astor (1759–1829)4 John Jacob Astor, Sr. (born Johann Jakob Astor) (1763–1848), fur trader, married Sarah Cox Todd (1762–1842)

Members by birth order

1. John Jacob Astor, Sr. (1763–1848)
2. William Backhouse Astor, Sr. (1792–1875)
3. Charles Astor Bristed, Sr. (1820–1874)
4. John Jacob Astor III (1822–1890)
5. William Backhouse Astor, Jr. (1829–1892)
6. William Waldorf Astor I (1848–1919)
7. John Jacob "Jack" Astor IV (1864–1912)
8. William Astor "Willie" Chanler, Sr. (1867–1934)
9. Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler, Sr. (1869–1942)
10. Robert Winthrop Chanler (1872–1930)
11. Waldorf Astor (1879–1952)
12. James Roosevelt "Tadd" Roosevelt, Jr. (1879–1958)
13. John Jacob Astor V (1886–1971)
14. William Vincent Astor (1891–1959)
15. Louis Zborowski (1895–1924)
16. Ava Alice Muriel Astor (1902–1956)
17. William Waldorf "Bill" Astor II (1907–1966)
18. Francis David Langhorne Astor (1912–2001)
19. John Jacob "Jakey" Astor VI (1912–1992)
20. Michael Langhorne Astor (1916–1980)
21. John Jacob "Jakie" Astor VII (1918–2000)
22. Gavin Astor (1918–1984)
23. Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky (1925–)
24. John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII (1946–)
25. William Waldorf Astor III (1951–)
26. Alexandra Aldrich (1972–)
27. Sophia Michahelles

Spouses by birth order

1. Caroline Webster Schermerhorn (1830–1908): widow of William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
2. Nancy Witcher Langhorne (1879–1964): widow of Waldorf Astor, first female British MP.
3. Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (1889–1965): wife of John Jacob Astor V
4. Madeleine Talmage Force (1893–1940): 2nd wife and widow of John Jacob "Jack" Astor IV
5. Roberta Brooke Russell (1902–2007): 3rd wife and widow of William Vincent Astor
6. Mary Benedict "Minnie" Cushing (1906–1978): 2nd wife of William Vincent Astor
7. Irene Violet Freesia Janet Augusta Haig (1919–2001): widow of Gavin Astor
8. Elizabeth Constance "Liz" Mackintosh (1950–): 2nd wife of John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII
9. Ava Lowle Willing: 1st wife of John Jacob "Jack" Astor IV
10. Janet Bronwen Alun Pugh: 3rd wife and widow of William Waldorf "Bill" Astor II
11. Annabel Lucy Veronica Jones: wife of William Waldorf Astor III, mother-in-law of British PM David Cameron
12. Julia Lynch Olin: 2nd wife and widow of Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler