Matthew Astor Wilks acre estate known as Cruickston Park and mansion designed by Detlef Lienau. Through his mother, Wilks was great-grandson of America's first millionaire John Jacob Astor, the fur trader and real estate magnet. Among his first cousins were DeLancey Astor Kane, Woodbury Kane, S. Nicholson Kane, and John Jacob Astor IV. His father, an English gentleman, was the son of a reverend and was born in London. Wilks, who inherited several million dollars from his family, began buying up property in lower Manhattan in 1876. He torn down the various mixed buildings and commissioned architect Charles W. Clinton to build a
John Astor John Astor John Astor (26 September 1923 – 27 December 1987) was an English politician. John was the third son of John Jacob Astor V (1886–1971) and Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (1889–1965). He had two elder brothers, Gavin (1918–1984) and Hugh (1920–1999). Violet also had two children, Mary (1910–2003) and George (1912–1997), from her first marriage to Lord Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice (1874–1914). He was educated at Summerfields and Eton College. During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was a Berkshire County Councillor from 1953 and an alderman from 1960. Astor was elected as the MP