Sir Thomas Astley Knight

  Information about this person:

• Background Information. ^1175,1180
Thomas, second son of Thomas, Lord Astley, had Hill-Morton, in Warwickshire, and the advowson of the church, by gift of his fahter, who entailed it upon any brother, or sister, of the whole blood, in case Thomas should die without issue, which grant bears date in May, 47 Henry III. This Thomas, in 9 Edward III, had a special patent, exempting him from knighthood; and in 17 Edward III, gave the perpetual patronage of the church of Hill-Morton to dean and canons of the College of Astley, then newly founded by Thomas, Lord Astley, the chief of that family, and died before 20th Edward III leaving issue by Margery, daughter of Sir George ______, of Charnels, Knight, who survived him.

~Bethram's Baronetage of England, Vol. II, p. 72, Collin's Baronetage of England, Vol. III, Part I, p. 64

• Background Information. ¹²⁶⁰
In January 1265 Thomas de Astley obtained the grant of a weekly market on Saturday and an annual fair at Midsummer. [Cal. Chart. R. ii, 51] He was killed later in that year at Evesham, but the grant was renewed in 1268 to his son Thomas, the market being altered to Wednesday, with the right of free warren in his demesne lands added. In 1263 Thomas de Astley, senior, is said to have granted the manor and advowson of Hillmorton to Thomas, his eldest son by his second wife, the father probably retaining a life-interest. This younger Thomas died without offspring before 1284, when his brother Ralph, who was the ancestor of a family that held Hillmorton in direct descent down to the end of the 18th century, claimed and was allowed view of frankpledge, free warren, and the right to hold markets and fairs.

~VCH, A History of the County of Warwick: Vol. 6., pp.108-114