How to Identify Who's Who in the Astor Family

The Astors have been prominent for two centuries, with branches in both Great Britain and the United States. They have been active in politics, fur-trading, business, high society, hotel-keeping and newspaper publishing. Here is a breakdown of their most prominent members.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. John Jacob Astor (1763-1848). The first of the eight men in his family to beat that name, he made his fortune trading furs and dealing in real estate. He founded what would later become the New York Public Library, was America's first millionaire and left behind a fortune which would be currently valued at $110 billion.
2. William Backhouse Astor (1792-1875). John Jacob's principal heir, he managed his father's business and increased the family fortune. Like his father, he was the richest man in America. His sons William and John were the heads of the American and future British branches of the family, respectively.
3. John Jacob Astor III (1822-1899). John Jacob III invested in railroads and managed the family real estate holdings.
4. William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919). The first of the five men in his family with that name, he was the son of John Jacob III. He worked as a lawyer, businessman and diplomat and in 1893 built the Waldorf Hotel on the site of his grandfather's house. Annoyed by the American press and fearful for his children's safety, he moved to Great Britain and became a British citizen. He bought the stately home Cliveden as well as historical Hever Castle, bred horses, owned newspapers and was named the First Viscount Astor of Cliveden.
5. [William] Waldorf Astor (1879-1952). Second Viscount Astor, member of Parliament from 1910 to 1919, horse breeder, newspaper owner and, along with his wife and friends (the so-called “Cliveden set”), was a vocal proponent of British appeasement with Germany.
6. Nancy Langhorne Astor (1979-1964). The American-born wife of Waldorf Astor and the second woman elected the the British Parliament, serving from 1919 to 1945. She was anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, somewhat anti-Communist and very pro-German.
7. William Waldorf Astor (1907-1966). The son of Waldorf and Nancy, he was a horse breeder and Member of Parliament from 1935 to 1945 and 1951 to 1952. He was implicated in the 1963 Profumo Affair, a sex and political scandal.
8. [Francis] David [Langhorne] Astor (1912-2001). Though another son of Waldorf and Nancy, he did not share their right-wing views. He was the longtime Editor of “The Observer” newspaper, a virulent opponent of South African apartheid, and helped found Amnesty International.
9. Michael Langhorne Astor (1916-1980). A son of Waldorf and Nancy, Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1951.
10. John Jacob Astor VII (1918-2000). A son of Waldorf and Nancy, Member of Parliament from 1951 to 1959.
11. John Jacob Astor V (1886-1971). The second son of William Waldorf, he was a newspaper publisher, Member of Parliament from 1922 to 1945 and the first Baron Astor of Hever.
12. John Jacob Astor VIII (1946- ). The Third Baron Astor, grandson of John Jacob V, Member of Parliament since 1999.
13. John Astor (1923-1974). A son of John Jacob V, Member of Parliament from 1964 to 1974.
14. William Backhouse Astor Jr. (1830-1892). The second son of William Backhouse Astor Sr., William Jr. devoted his life to managing his real estate empire, building hotels and yachting.
15. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (1830-1908). “The Mrs. Astor,” as she was called, was the supreme hostess and arbiter of New York high society. Indeed, the elite of New York were referred to as “The Four Hundred,” because, as some say, that's how many people could fit into her ballroom.
16. John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912). The son of William Jr., John Jacob IV was a businessman, writer, soldier and inventor. In 1897 he tore down his parents' house and erected the Astoria Hotel next door to his cousin's Waldorf Hotel. Eventually the hotels merged and became the Waldorf-Astoria. This hotel was eventually demolished, with a new building erected on Park Avenue. The original Fifth Avenue location of the Waldorf-Astoria then became the site of the Empire State Building.
    In 1912 he displayed great heroism and gentlemanly courtesy as he faced his death during the sinking of the “Titanic.”
17. [William] Vincent Astor (1891-1959). The eldest son of John Jacob IV, Vincent was a real estate magnate, World War I veteran, philanthropist, yachtsman and one of the wealthiest people in America. He used his philanthropy as a way to work off his guilt about his slum lord ancestors.
18. Brooke Russell Marshall Astor (1902-2007). A socialite and the third wife and widow of Vincent Astor, Brooke was her husband's sole heir. She spent much of her long life giving away her husband's fortune, through the Vincent Astor Foundation and other channels. All in all her philanthropies totaled around $195 million. In her later years, Anthony Dryden Marshall, her son by an earlier marriage, was accused of elder abuse and defrauding her of $14 million.
19. John Jacob Astor VI (1912-1992). The posthumously-born son of John Jacob IV, John Jacob VI profited very little from his father's estate. He was married three times and his children and grandchildren are the last of the American Astors.