ALLESTRY, Jacob, an English poet of the last century. He was the son of James Allestry, a bookseller of London, who was ruined by the great fire in 1666. Jacob was educated at Westminster school, entered at Christ-church, Oxford, in the act-term 1671, at the age of 18, and was elected student in 1672. He took the degree of arts; was music reader in 1679, and terrae filius in 1681; both which offices he executed with great applause, being esteemed a good philologist and poet. He had a chief hand in the verses and pastorals spoken at the theatre at Oxford, May 21, 1681, by Mr. William Saville, second son of the marquis of Halifax, and George Cholmondeley, second son of Robert Viscount Kells (both of Christ-church), before James duke of York, his duchess, and the lady Anne; which verses and pastorals, were afterwards printed in the "Examen Poeticum." He died October 15, 1686, and was buried in St Thomas's church-yard.