Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baronet

He was the oldest son of Edward Astley and his wife Elizabeth Astley, daughter of his uncle Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading.^[2] Astley was educated first at Norwich School,^[3] then King's College, Cambridge,^[4] and finally Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated on 19 June 1659.^[5] On 7 September of the same year on the death of his paternal uncle Sir Isaac Astley, 1st Baronet, he inherited the estates of Hill Morton, Warwickshire and Melton Constable,^[6] and in 1688 the Maidstone, Kent estates of his cousin Jacob Astley, 3rd Baron Astley of Reading.^[6] In 1664 he commenced the building of the present Melton Constable Hall. He sold the Kent estate in 1720.

Having been already knighted, Astley was created a Baronet, of Hill Morton, in the County of Warwick on 26 June 1660.^[6] He was appointed High Sheriff of Norfolk for 1664 before entering the British House of Commons in 1685 as MP for Norfolk until 1689.^[7] He represented the constituency again from 1690 to 1701, from 1702 to 1705 and a last time from 1710 to 1722.^[7] Astley was High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1664 and Commissioner of Trade between 1714 and 1717.^[8]