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Sir John Tufton Tomb, Saint Margaret's church, Hothfield

John Tufton (1544-1624) 1st Baronet Hothfield, was the son of John and Mary Tufton.
He first married Olympia, daughter of Christopher Bloor, and secondly Christian daughter of Sir Humphrey Browne.

He had three daughters with Olympia, Ann (who married Sir Francis Tresham, one of the gunpowder plot conspirators), Elizabeth(died young) and Margaret.
With Christian, John had six sons, Nicholas, John(died young), Humphrey, Richard, William and Thomas. They also had four daughters, Cicely (married firstly Sir Edward Hungerford, and secondly Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, their tomb is at Bottesford SK8039 : Tomb of Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, St Mary's Bottesford), also Mary, Anne and Elizabeth. (Ann and Elizabeth died young).

The tomb depicts effigies of Sir John and his second wife Christian (née Brown) lying on top of the tomb chest. The figure of their eldest son Nicholas (1578-1631) kneels at their head. The other children surround the base of the chest as weepers. At the feet of Sir John is a sea lion which is the crest of the Tufton family, and at the feet of his wife is a Lion's paw, the crest of the Brown family.

It is thought that the Tuftons originated from Dorset and settled at Northiam in East Sussex in the 14th century. In 1538 Nicholas Tufton married Margaret Hever and is buried in Northiam church. Nicholas had one son John, who died in 1567. John was married to Mary Baker of Sissinghurst Castle. He was the first Tufton to live in Hothfield. John had one son, also John, and a daughter Cicely TQ9955 : Effigy of Dame Cecilia Sondes, Throwley Church who married Sir Thomas Sondes of Throwley TQ9955 : Effigy of Sir Thomas Sondes, Throwley Church.
It is the second John who is shown on the tomb. He was knighted in 1603, and became a Baronet of Ulster in 1611, the red hand of Ulster can be seen on the tomb. John Tufton was known for his generosity towards the poor, he also rebuilt the church after it was burnt down, having been struck by lightning, and he built a vault underneath for the Tufton family.

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