Background
She was born Lady Margaret Tufton, the third daughter of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet by his wife Catherine, daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Their only child Edward was born on 6 February 1726.
She was born Lady Margaret Tufton, the third daughter of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet by his wife Catherine, daughter of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Their only child Edward was born on 6 February 1726.
On 3 July 1718 she was married to Thomas Coke. On 30 July 1729 her father Lord Thanet died. He was also 18th Baron de Clifford, and as he had no surviving male issue this title fell into abeyance between five co-heirs: Margaret, her two elder sisters Catherine (widow of Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes) and Anne (widow of James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury), and her two younger sisters Mary (widow of Anthony Grey, Earl of Harold) and Isabella (wife of Lord Nassau Powlett).
The abeyance was terminated in Margaret"s favour on 3 August 1734, and she became 19th Baroness Clifford in her own right.
Their son Edward (now styled Viscount Coke) died without issue on 31 August 1753, and Lord Leicester died on 20 April 1759. Lady Leicester died on 28 February 1775, and her barony again fell into abeyance.
The abeyance was terminated in favour of Edward Southwell 17 April 1776.