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Thomas Coke

Thomas William Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (6 May 1754–30 June 1842) became famous for his advanced methods of animal husbandry used in improving his estate at Holkham in Norfolk. As a result, Coke of Norfolk is seen as one of the instigators of the British Agricultural Revolution. Thomas Coke's efforts to improve the Holkham Hall estate became a marathon project which began in 1776 and lasted until his death in 1842. People interested in farming were said to flock to gatherings at Holkham – the so-called Holkham shearings – from all over Britain and from overseas. The 'Shearings' were the fore-runners of today's agricultural shows. He is particularly credited with improvements to animal breeding and husbandry relating to cattle, sheep and pigs. For most of his life, he was happy to remain plain Mr Coke: it is said that he had been offered a peerage seven times by six different Prime Ministers: sometimes by Whigs as a reward; at others by Tories as a bribe. Often celebrated by the title Coke of Norfolk, Coke was eventually ennobled by Queen Victoria in 1837, accepting a new Earldom of Leicester so that the sons of his second marriage might inherit his title, and was created Viscount Coke and Earl of Leicester, of Holkham in the County of Norfolk.