Baron Astley (1295)


Baron Astley was created by writ of summons dated 23 June 1295 for a family which had lived at Astley, Warwickshire, England since the time of Henry I. Sir Thomas de Astley who was killed in the Battle of Evesham in 1265 married twice. From Sir Thomas's first marriage to Joan de Blois descended the Barons Astley.
The 4th Baron left an only child and sole heiress Joan Astley, who married Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn and died in 1448.. Their son Edward Grey married Elizabeth Ferrers, 6th Baroness Ferrers of Groby and Edward was thereby summoned to Parliament as Baron Ferrers of Groby. He died on 18 December 1457. Elizabeth died in 1483.
Whether the Barony of Astley passed to Joan Astley and her son Edward Grey is open to dispute. The Complete Peerage entries on the Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset and Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset and on Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk do not include Baron Astley with their other titles; indeed the last person listed as a holder of the title in the entry on Baron Astley is William Astley, 4th Baron Astley. The entry continues "After his death, the Barony of Astley, if an hereditary Peerage would have devolved on his only da. and
h., Joan, and the heirs of her body... Edward Grey, who was sum. to Parl, in 1446 as Lord Ferrers of Groby. The Barony of Astley would thenceforth have followed the course of that of Ferrers of Groby, and have been forfeited therewith on the attainder of Henry, Duke of Suffolk, &c, in 1554." On the other hand, Burke’s Dormant and Extinct Peerages of 1831 and 1978 extend the barony down to 1554 when it would have been forfeited along with all the other titles of the Duke of Suffolk following participation in Wyatt's Rebellion and his attainder and execution. This gives the following descent: