Henry Tufton, 11th Earl of Thanet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Tufton, 11th Earl of Thanet
11th Earl of Thanet
In office 1832–1849
Preceded by	Charles Tufton, 10th Earl of Thanet
Member of the British Parliament for Rochester
In office 1796–1802
Member of the British Parliament for Appleby
In office 1826–1832
Lord Lieutenant of Kent
In office 1841–1846
Personal details
Born	2 January 1775
Died	12 June 1849
Parents	Sackville Tufton, 8th Earl of Thanet (father) Mary Sackville (mother)
Henry Tufton, 11th Earl of Thanet Sport Sport cricket Team Marylebone Cricket Club

Henry James Tufton, 11th Earl of Thanet (born January 2, 1775 – died June 12, 1849) was an important English nobleman and a famous cricket player in the 1790s. He held the title of Earl of Thanet.

Arms of the Earls of Thanet

About Henry Tufton

Henry Tufton came from a very important family. His family was known for being involved in sports, especially cricket. His parents were Sackville Tufton, 8th Earl of Thanet and Mary Sackville.

Mary Sackville's father was Lord John Philip Sackville. Her brother was John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset. Both Sackville and Dorset were big supporters of cricket in Kent.

Henry also had an older brother named John Tufton. John was also a well-known amateur cricket player.

In April 1832, Henry became the 11th Earl of Thanet. He took over the title after his older brother, Charles Tufton, 10th Earl of Thanet, passed away.

Henry Tufton's Public Roles

Henry Tufton held several important jobs in the government. From 1832 until he died, he served as the High Sheriff of Westmorland. This was a special role passed down in his family.

He was also a Member of Parliament (MP). This means he was elected to represent people in the British government. He was an MP for Rochester from 1796 to 1802.

Later, he was an MP for Appleby from 1826 to 1832. From 1841 to 1846, he was the Lord Lieutenant of Kent. This was a high-ranking official who represented the King or Queen in the county of Kent.

Cricket Career Highlights

Henry Tufton was a skilled cricket player. He played as a wicketkeeper-batsman. This means he was good at both hitting the ball and catching it behind the stumps.

He started playing in important matches in June 1793. His first big game was for Surrey and Sussex against the All-England Eleven. This match took place at the first Lord's Cricket Ground.

A cricket historian named Arthur Haygarth wrote about Henry Tufton. He said Henry was a very good batsman and wicketkeeper. His cricket career ended when he was only 26 years old.

In one match on July 13, 1796, Henry showed his amazing skills. Playing for the Marylebone Club, he "stumped" six players and caught two others out. This shows he was very good at his job behind the wickets.

In total, Henry Tufton played in 77 important cricket matches. His last game was in July 1801. He played for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against the Homerton Cricket Club. This game was also at the original Lord's Cricket Ground.

Later Life and Family

In 1803, Henry Tufton was traveling in France. At that time, Napoleon ordered that all English people in France be held. Henry was among those held.

When he returned to England, he did not play cricket again. He never married, and he was the last person to hold the title of Earl of Thanet.

Henry Tufton was buried in his family's special burial place. This is at Rainham Church in Kent. There is no large monument for him. Instead, there is an inscription on his coffin.

The inscription on his coffin reads:

HENRY TUFTON,

Earl of Thanet,

Hereditary High Sheriff of the county of Westmorland,

Late Lord Lieutenant of Kent,

Died June 12, 1849

IN THE 75TH YEAR OF HIS AGE