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
Violet Astor 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, and Maud Evelyn Hamilton. They had two children: Her husband was killed in action on 30 October 1914 while fighting in World War I. On 28 August 1916 she married John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever, youngest son of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, and Mary Dahlgren Paul. They had three sons: She died on 3 January 1965 in her villa at Pégomas, near Grasse. Lord Astor died on 19 July 1971. Violet Astor Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound DStJ (28 May 1889 – 3 January 1965) was an English aristocrat. She was the daughter