Jacob Astley, 16th Baron Hastings (13 November 1797 – 27 December 1859), known as Sir Jacob Astley, Bt, between 1817 and 1841, was a British peer and Whig politician.

Background and education

Hastings was the eldest son of Sir Jacob Astley, 5th Baronet, and Hester, daughter of Samuel Browne. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford

Magdalen College, Oxford

Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...

.

Political career

Hastings was High Sheriff of Norfolk

High Sheriff of Norfolk

This is a list of High Sheriffs of Norfolk. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown and is appointed annually by the Crown. He was originally the principal law enforcement officer in the county and presided at the Assizes and other important county meetings...

 between 1821 and 1822. In 1832 he was returned to Parliament for Norfolk West

West Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)

West Norfolk or Norfolk Western was a county constituency in the county of Norfolk, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general...

, a seat he held until 1832. In 1841 the House of Lords

House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

 announced that Hastings was one of the co-heirs to the barony of Hastings

Baron Hastings

Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1295, and is still extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in c. 1314...

, a peerage which had been dormant since 1389 and technically abeyant since 1542, as a descendant of Elizabeth, daughter of Hugh Hastings, de jure 14th Baron Hastings. Later the same year the abeyance was terminated in his favour and he was issued a writ to the House of Lords.

Family

Lord Hastings married Georgiana Caroline, daughter of Sir Henry Dashwood, 3rd Baronet, in 1819. They had two sons. In 1835 Georgiana gave birth to a daughter, named Georgiana, father by Thomas Garth. She died in June of the same year, aged 39. Lord Hastings died in December 1859, aged 62, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, Jacob.

External links