Background
His parents were Sackville Tufton, 8th Earl of Thanet (1733–1786), and Mary Sackville (1746–1778), who was the daughter of Lord John Philip Sackville and the sister of John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset.
His parents were Sackville Tufton, 8th Earl of Thanet (1733–1786), and Mary Sackville (1746–1778), who was the daughter of Lord John Philip Sackville and the sister of John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset.
Henry Tufton belonged to an aristocratic family that was prominent in cricketing and other sporting circles. Sackville and Dorset were famous patrons of Kent cricket. One of Tufton"s older brothers was the Honourable John Tufton (1773–1799), who was also a noted amateur cricketer.
He served as hereditary High Sheriff of Westmorland from 1832 until his own death.
He was Lord Lieutenant of Kent 1841-1846. He was a wicketkeeper-batsman who is believed to have been right-handed and made his debut in major cricket for Surrey and Sussex in a game against All-England at the original Lord"s Cricket Ground in June 1793.
Arthur Haygarth in Scores and Biographies says of Tufton that he "was a successful batsman and wicket-keeper during his short career, which terminated when he was only twenty-six years of age. In the match between the Marylebone Club against the Thursday and Montpelier on 13 July 1796, he stumped six and caught two".
In all, Henry Tufton played in 77 major matches until July 1801.
His final game was for Master Control Console versus Homerton Cricket Club at the original Lord"s Cricket Ground. Haygarth adds that when Tufton "was travelling in France in 1803, he was seized on Napoleon"s orders (along with the rest of the English) as a prisoner. Nor did he on his return to England resume the game.
Henry Tufton did not marry and was the last of the Earls of Thanet.
He was buried in the family vault at Rainham Church in Kent. Haygarth says he had no monument and only an inscription on his coffin that stated:in 1849:
HENRY TUFTON,
Earl of Thanet,
Hereditary High Sheriff of the county of Westmorland,
Late Lord Lieutenant of Kent,
Died June 12, 1849
Indiana THE 75TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.
1st United Kingdom Parliament. 8th United Kingdom Parliament. 9th United Kingdom Parliament.
10th United Kingdom Parliament.
18th Parliament of Great Britain]
He was Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Rochester 1796–1802, for Appleby 1826–1832. He was at one time member of Parliament for Rochester".