Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading (1579–1652), was a royalist commander in the English Civil War. He came from a Norfolk family. In 1598 he joined Maurice of Nassau and Henry of Orange in the Netherlands, where he served with distinction, and afterwards fought under Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Gustavus Adolphus in the Thirty Years' War. He was evidently thought highly of by the states-general, for when he was absent, serving under Christian V of Denmark, his position in the Dutch army was kept open for him. Returning to England with a well-deserved reputation, he was in the employment of Charles I in various military capacities. As "sergeant-major" or general of the infantry, he went north in 1639 to organize the defence against the expected Scottish invasion. Here his duties were as much diplomatic as military, as the discontent which ended in the Civil War was now coming to a head. In the ill-starred Bishops' Wars, Astley did good service to the cause of the king, and he was involved in the so-called "Army Plot". Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... Events April 6 - Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp for the Dutch East India Company at the Cape of Good Hope, and founded Cape Town. ... The English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, specifically to the first (1642–1645) and second (1648–1649) civil wars between the supporters of King Charles I and the supporters of... For alternative meanings see: Norfolk (disambiguation) Norfolk (pronounced NOR-fk) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... Maurice of Nassau (in Dutch Maurits van Nassau) (14 November 1567–23 April 1625), Prince of Orange (1618–1625), son of William the Silent and Princess Anna of Saxony, was born at the castle of Dillenburg. ... Frederick V, Elector Palatine Frederick V, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia (August 16, 1596 -November 29, 1632) was, as the son and heir of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine, the Elector of the Rhine Palatinate in the Holy Roman Empire upon his fathers death in 1610. ... Gustav II Adolph Gustav II Adolph (December 9, 1594 - November 6, 1632) (also known as Gustav Adolph the Great, under the Latin name Gustavus Adolphus or the Swedish form Gustav II Adolf) was a King of Sweden. ... The victory of Gustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631) The Thirty Years War was a conflict fought between the years 1618 and 1648, principally in the Central European territory of the Holy Roman Empire, but also involving most of the major continental powers. ... Christian V (April 15, 1646 - August 25, 1699), was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670-1699. ... Charles I (19 November 1600–30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625, until his death. ... Events January 14 - Connecticuts first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. ... The Bishops Wars, a series of armed encounters and defiances between England and Scotland in 1639 and 1640, were part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. ...

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642 he at once joined Charles, and was made major-general of the foot. His characteristic battle-prayer at the Battle of Edgehill has become famous: "O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee, do not forget me. March on, boys!" At Gloucester he commanded a division, and at the first Battle of Newbury (1643) he led the infantry of the royal army. With Ralph Hopton, in 1644, he served at Arundel and Cheriton. At the second Battle of Newbury (1644) he made a gallant and memorable defence of Shaw House. He was made a baron by the king, and at the Battle of Naseby he once more commanded the main body of the foot. He afterwards served in the west, and with 1500 men fought stubbornly but vainly at the last battle for the king at Stow-on-the-Wold (March 1646). Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... The Battle of Edgehill (or Edge Hill) was the first major engagement of the First English Civil War. ... Gloucester (pronounced ) is a city in south-west England, close to the Welsh border. ... The first Battle of Newbury took place on 20 September 1643 between Parliamentary forces under Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, and royalist forces under King Charles in person, accompanied by Prince Rupert and Sir Jacob Astley. ... Ralph Hopton (1598-1652) was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. ... Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... Arundel is a town in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. ... A district of Folkestone, Kent, England, best known as the site of the Channel Tunnel terminal. ... The Second Battle of Newbury was a battle of the English Civil War fought on October 27, 1644, in Newbury in Berkshire. ... The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. ... An English Gloucestershire market town, Stow-on-the-Wold sits on top of a 700 foot tall hill, at the convergence of a number of roads through the Cotswolds. ... Events Ongoing events English Civil War (1642-1649) Births April 15 - King Christian V of Denmark (d. ...

His scrupulous sense of honour forbade him to take any part in the Second Civil War, as he had given his parole at Stow-on-the-Wold; but he had to undergo his share of the discomforts that were the lot of the vanquished royalists. He died in February 1651/2. The barony became extinct in 1668. Events January - The Triple Alliance of 1668 is formed. ...

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ...