Ava Lowle Willing

Ava Lowle Willing (September 15, 1868 – June 9, 1958) was an American socialite and the first wife of John Jacob Astor IV.

Biography

Ava Lowle Willing was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Edward Shippen Willing (?-1906) and his wife, the former Alice Barton. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Will of E. S. Willing. Son Gets Bulk of Estate. The Daughters $225,000 Each. |url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B05E3D9113EE733A25754C2A9629C946797D6CF |quote=The bulk of the $1,000,000 left by Edward S. Willing, who died at his residence, 510 South Broad Street, on April 10, is devised to his son, John R. Barton Willing, and his two daughters, Ava Lowle Willing Astor, wife of John Jacob Astor, and Susan Ridgway Willing Lawrence, widow of Francis Cooper Lawrence, Jr.|work=New York Times |date=April 27, 1906 |accessdate=2008-08-11 ] She had two siblings, Susan Ridgway Willing (Mrs. Francis Cooper Lawrence, Jr.) and John Rhea Barton Willing. She was a descendant of Edward Shippen, the second mayor of Philadelphia and a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

She married John Jacob Astor IV in February of 1891 in Philadelphia. The newlywed couple was given, among many lavish gifts, a furnished townhouse on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Though the marriage was tumultuous, the Astors had two children, William Vincent (b. Nov 15, 1891) and Ava Alice Muriel (b. February 1902). The latter child reportedly was the child of an affair Ava Astor had with a New York society figure surnamed Hatch.

On November 19 1909, Ava Astor sued her husband for divorce and March 5, 1910 the State of New York decreed in her favor. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Would Probably Share $100,000,000 Estate with Stepmother in Event of His Father's Death. |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9501E2DF153CE633A25754C1A9629C946396D6CF |quote=Mrs. Ava Willing Astor, obtained her divorce from John Jacob Astor, in November, 1909 |work=New York Times |date=April 17, 1912 |accessdate=2008-08-11 ] Their son lived with his father before leaving to attend Harvard College. Their daughter would be raised by her mother. In the second year of Vincent's education, John Jacob became one of the RMS Titanic casualties while returning from his honeymoon with his new bride, Madeleine Talmadge Force. This event left young Vincent as one of the wealthiest men in the United States.

In 1911, Ava Astor and her daughter moved to England where she would become the second wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale, in 1919. Lord Ribblesdale died on October 21 1925. Ava had no children from her second marriage, and she did not remarry. Though she reclaimed her American citizenship after returning to the United States and announced to the press that she would be known as Mrs. Ribblesdale, she nonetheless continued to be known by her former title.

Lady Ribblesdale died on June 9 1958 in New York City. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Lady Ribblesdale Dead. First Wife of John Jacob Astor IV. Mother of Vincent Astor. |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50617FE3F54127B93C3A8178DD85F4C8585F9 |quote= Ava Willing Ribblesdale, she took up residence here. She continued to be listed in the telephone directory as Lady Ribblesdale. ... |work=New York Times |date=June 11, 1958 |accessdate=2008-08-11 ] She left a token bequest to her son, Vincent, but the bulk of her estate was left to her daughter's four children: Prince Ivan Obolensky, Princess Sylvia von Hoffmannsthal, Romana von Hoffmannsthal, and Emily Harding.

References