The Astor Saga, the 2nd Viscount.

Waldorf William 2nd Viscount

and Lady Nancy Astor.

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Born in New York City on 19th May 1879. He was educated at Eton College near Windsor in Berkshire, and furthered his education at New College, Oxford, graduating with a Master of Arts degree. Around, 1910 he became acting chairman of the Observer newspaper in London. In that same year he became Conservative member of Parliament for Plymouth in Devon, he held the seat from 1910 to 1980.

Stepping back to 1906, when he met and married Nancy Witcher Langhorn. More about this famous lady in a later section of this saga.

In 1914, he gained the rank of temporary Major, and was Inspector of the Quartermaster General Services in the Home District, a position that he held until 1917 for which he was mentioned in dispatches. Between 1917 and 1918, he held the office of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. From 1918 to 1919 he held the office of Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Food. From 1919 to 1921 he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health.

On his father's death in 1919 he automatically had to relinquish his Parliamentary seat to take his seat in the House of Lords. His Parliamentary seat becoming vacant, his wife Nancy decided she would run and won the seat in a by-election in 1919.

He held the office of Lord Mayor of Plymouth from 1939 until 1944, when he quietly retired from public life to enjoy his Racehorses and the Cliveden Stud farm, which had long been a great passion of his. He died at his Cliveden home on 30th September 1952 at the age of 73.