File:St Mary the Virgin, Everton, Memorial (geograph 2778858).jpg

English: St Mary the Virgin, Everton, Memorial. Chancel has marble wall monument to Richard Astell, 1777, showing urn in front of obelisk (Listed building text[1]). Arms of Astell of Everton House and Woodbury Hall (Gules, a lion passant per pale or and argent between four cross-crosslets of the last), impaling arms of two wives, in chief Bagnall: Ermine, two bars or over all a lion rampant azure; in base quarterly or and gules Kennett (?). The Everton estate was bought in 1713 by a prosperous London timber merchant, William Astell, who later became one of the directors of the infamous South Sea Company. Descent: William Astell (1672-1741); to son, Richard Astell (1717-77) (Son of William Astell and his wife Mary, daughter of John Bagnall, of Early Court, Erleigh Court, Earley, Berkshire). Richard Astell (1717-77) married 1stly. his cousin, Sarah Bagnall, daughter of John Bagnall, March 1739. He married 2ndly, Hannah Kennett, 23rd May 1770. He was buried at Everton, 28 Jan. 1777. Following his death under the terms of his Will (dated ). the Woodbury Estate at Everton passed by entail to his maternal nephew, William Thornton (afterwards William Thornton Astell, son of Richard's sister Margaret who had married Godfrey Thornton of Clapham, Surrey and Moggerhanger Park, Bedfordshire. The Wills of Richard's father and that of Richard's widow, Hannah (later wife of Thomas Pownall) were also instrumental in the succession process of William Thornton Astell's nephew, who in turn inherited the estate when William died.

From Richard Astell (1717-77) to nephew, William Thornton (later Astell) (1734-1801); to brother, Godfrey Thornton (1737-1805); to son, Col. William Thornton (later Astell) (1774-1847); to son, Col. Richard William Astell (1804-64), who demolished the house. (landedfamilies.blogspot.com[2]). Victoria history of the county of Bedford. Natural history. AsTSLL. Gules a lion passant forty or and cr- 'tnt between four cross- ets argent. fe Walter Cary, who retained it until 1714, when he alienated it to William Astell." Richard son of William Astell held the manor in 1738,*' and on his death, without issue, in 1777, was succeeded by his nephew William Thornton, who assumed the name of Astell." He died in 1847, and of his two sons, William the elder died unmarried in 1864, and John the younger succeeded to the Everton pro- perty. He died in 1887, and was followed by a son Wil- liam Harvey Astell who, at his death in 1896, left a son Richard Astell, born in 1890, who is the present representa- tive of the family.