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Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1290, and is 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. The third creation was in the Peerage of England in 1461, and has been in abeyance since 1960.

Quick Facts Baronies of Hastings First creation (1290)Third creation (1461)(abeyant), Creation date ...
Baronies of Hastings
First creation (1290)
Third creation (1461)(abeyant)
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Arms of Hastings (used as quartering by later barons), Barons Hastings: Or, a maunch gules [hr 1][1]
Creation date1290 (first creation)(dormant 1389-1841, abeyant 1542-1841)
1299 (second creation)
1461 (third creation) (abeyant 1868-71, 1960-)
Created byEdward I (first creation)
Edward I (second creation)
Edward IV (third creation)
PeeragePeerage of England
First holderJohn Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings
Present holderDelaval Astley, 23rd Baron Hastings (first creation)
Subsidiary titlesFirst creation:
Baronet Astley of Hill Morton
Extinction date1314 (second creation)
Former seat(s)First creation:
Melton Constable Hall
Seaton Delaval Hall
Third creation:
Loudoun Castle
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1290 creation

John Hastings was summoned to Parliament as Lord Hastings in 1290.[hr 2] He was the son of Henry de Hastings, who had been created Baron Hastings by Simon de Montfort in 1263. Since the first Baron's title does not appear to have been recognised by the King, although his son John Hastings is sometimes referred to as the second Baron Hastings, the majority of historians enumerate John as 1st Baron Hastings. John Hastings's grandson, the third Baron Hastings, was created Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke in 1339. The latter's son, the second Earl of Pembroke, married as his second wife Anne Hastings, 2nd Baroness Manny. Their son, the third Earl and fifth Baron Hastings, succeeded his mother as third Baron Manny.

On his death in 1389 the earldom and barony of Manny became extinct, while the barony of Hastings became dormant. It then became the subject of a bitter-fought lawsuit, nominally over the right to the Hastings arms but including the right to the family honours. The barony was claimed by Hugh Hastings (1377–1396) (later deemed the de jure 7th Baron Hastings; see below). He was the eldest son of Sir Hugh Hastings, grandson of Sir Hugh Hastings (c. 1307–1347), son of the second Baron by his second wife. Hugh claimed the title as "heir of the half blood". However, the claim was contested by Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn, as "heir of the whole blood". Lord Grey de Ruthyn claimed the Barony in right of his grandmother Elizabeth, daughter of the second Baron Hastings by his first wife. On the early death of Hugh Hastings in 1396 the claim passed to his younger brother Edward Hastings (1382–1438) (later deemed the de jure 8th Baron Hastings; see below). In 1410 a court decided in favour of Grey. Hastings immediately appealed, and at the coronation of Henry V in 1413, he claimed the right to carry the spurs before the King, which Lord Grey de Ruthyn had done undisputed in 1399 at the coronation of Henry IV. Hastings was later ordered to pay the costs of the trial. When he refused, he was imprisoned in 1417. He remained imprisoned until 1433, but refused to buy his release by abandoning his claims. No final decision regarding the Barony was made at the time, but both families continued to claim the title. The Greys finally abandoned their claim in 1639.

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Seaton Delaval Hall, the former seat of the Astley and Delaval families, who intermarried

After the title had been dormant for 452 years, in 1841 the House of Lords decided that the rightful successor to the third Earl of Pembroke and fifth Baron Hastings was his kinsman John Hastings, de jure 6th Baron Hastings. He was the eldest son of Sir Hugh Hastings, younger son of the first Baron. His successor should have been his great-nephew, the aforementioned Hugh Hastings, de jure 7th Baron Hastings. The next holder should have been his younger brother, the aforementioned Edward Hastings, de jure 8th Baron Hastings. On the death of the latter's great-great-great-grandson, the de jure 15th Baron, the peerage technically fell into abeyance between the Baron's sisters Anne and Elizabeth. The House of Lords decision meant that there were three co-heirs to the barony. The decision was in favour of Sir Jacob Astley, 6th Baronet, who was summoned to the House of Lords the same year as Lord Hastings. He was a descendant of the aforementioned Elizabeth, sister of the de jure 15th Baron. Lord Hastings had previously represented West Norfolk in the House of Commons.

As of 2010 the titles are held by his great-great-great-grandson, the twenty-third Baron and thirteenth Baronet, who succeeded his father in 2007. The twenty-second Baron served in the Conservative administrations of Harold Macmillan and Sir Alec Douglas-Home as a government whip from 1961 to 1962 and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Local Government from 1962 to 1964.

The Astley Baronetcy, of Hillmorton in the County of Warwick, had been created in the Baronetage of England on 25 June 1660 for Jacob Astley. He represented Norfolk in House of Commons for many years. His great-grandson,[citation needed] Edward Astley, also represented Norfolk in Parliament. He married Rhoda Delaval, daughter of Francis Blake Delaval, of Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland, and sister of John Delaval, 1st Baron Delaval.[2] Through this marriage the Seaton Delaval estate came into the Astley family when Rhoda's brother did not produce a male heir. Their son, Sir Jacob Henry Astley,[2][3] was also Member of Parliament for Norfolk. The latter was the father of the sixth Baronet, who succeeded as Baron Hastings in 1841.

The family seat was Seaton Delaval Hall, now in the possession of the National Trust.

1299 creation

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Seal of Edmund Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, affixed to the Barons' Letter of 1301, which his brother also sealed. He displays the arms of Muireadhach I, Earl of Menteith (d. 1213)[hr 3]Barry wavy of six or and gules

Edmund Hastings of Inchmahome (anciently Inchmacholmok) in Perthshire, Scotland, was the younger son of Henry de Hastings (c. 1235–c. 1268) of Ashill, Norfolk, (who was summoned to Parliament by Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester as Lord Hastings in 1263, but the title was not recognized by King Henry III). He was thus the younger brother of John Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings (title created 1290).[4] On 29 December 1299 Edmund Hastings was summoned to Parliament as Lord Hastings. The title became extinct on his death without issue at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.[4] His wife (given to him in marriage by King Edward I) was Isabel, suo jure Countess of Menteith, a Scottish title, and on his seal appended to the Barons' Letter of 1301 he displayed the arms of the early Earls of Menteith: Barry wavy of six or and gules.[hr 4]

1461 creation

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Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings

Sir William Hastings (c. 1430–1483) served as Lord Chamberlain and as Ambassador to France. He was summoned to Parliament as Lord Hastings on 26 July 1461. He was a great friend and confidant of King Edward IV and one of the wealthiest and most powerful men of his time. Lord Hastings was summarily beheaded on Tower Hill in 1483 following an accusation of treason by Richard of Gloucester during the events that led to the latter's coronation. However, as he was not attainted for treason the title was passed to his son, Edward, the second Baron, who married Mary, granddaughter of Robert Hungerford, 3rd Baron Hungerford, who had been attainted in 1461. Mary managed to obtain a reversal of the attainders of the Barony of Hungerford, Barony of Botreaux and Barony of De Moleyns. Their son, the third Baron, inherited the Barony of Hastings from his father and the Baronies of Hungerford, Botreaux and De Moleyns from his mother; in 1513, he was created Earl of Huntingdon.

On the death of the tenth Earl in 1789 the earldom became dormant, while the baronies of Hastings, Hungerford, Botreaux and De Moleyns passed on to his sister Elizabeth, the wife of John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira. Their son, the second Earl of Moira, inherited the four baronies on his mother's death in 1808. In 1816 he was created Marquess of Hastings. Lord Hastings married Flora Mure-Campbell, 6th Countess of Loudoun. Their son, the second Marquess, also inherited the Earldom of Loudoun from his mother. He married Barbara, 20th Baroness Grey de Ruthyn. On the death in 1868 of their younger son, the fourth Marquess (who had also succeeded his mother as Baron Grey de Ruthyn), the marquessate became extinct, the Scottish earldom of Loudoun passed on to his eldest sister, while the Baronies of Hastings, Hungerford, Botreaux, De Moleyns and Grey de Ruthyn fell into abeyance between the sisters.

In 1871 the Baronies of Botreaux, Hungerford, Moleyns and Hastings were called out of abeyance in favour of Edith, Countess of Loudoun (but not the Barony of Grey de Ruthyn, which was called out of abeyance in 1885 in favour of a different heir). On the death of the Countess of Loudoun's son, the 11th Earl, in 1920, the earldom passed to his eldest niece, Elizabeth, while the four Baronies fell into abeyance between Elizabeth and her younger sisters.

In 1921 the Baronies of Hastings and Botreaux were called out of abeyance in favour of Elizabeth (and the Barony of Stanley was called out of abeyance in her favour at the same time). However, the barony of De Moleyns and the barony of Hungerford were called out of abeyance in favour of a different heir (see the Viscount St Davids). On Elizabeth's death in 1960 the baronies of Hastings, Stanley and Botreaux fell into abeyance between her daughters. As of 2021, they remain in abeyance.

"Baron Hastings" (1263)

Barons Hastings (1290)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Hon. Jacob Addison Astley (b. 1991)

Astley baronets, of Hill Morton (1660)

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Arms of one of the Astley baronets in Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk. Arms of Hastings in 4th quarter and on escutcheons on supporters. The 6th Baronet succeeded as Baron Hastings in 1841

Baron Hastings (1299)

Baron Hastings (1461)

Created Earl of Huntingdon and the Barony of Botreaux is merged.
Earldom of Huntingdon moves to another family branch.
Created Marquess of Hastings
marquessate became extinct, Earldom of Loudoun is merged
Barony of Stanley is merged

The co-heirs are the descendants of the 20th Baroness:

See also

References

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