Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham

Thomas William Coke (6 May 1754-30 June 1842) was the celebrated Coke of Norfolk who, between 1776 and 1842, greatly improved his Holkham estate which became famous for its advanced methods of animal husbandry. As a result, Thomas Coke is seen as one of the instigators of the British agricultural revolution.

For most of his life Thomas Coke was happy to remain plain Mr Coke: it is said that he had been offered a peerage seven times by six different Premiers, sometimes by Whigs as a reward, at others by Tories as a bribe, but did not become a peer until in 1837 he was persuaded to accept the title of the 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham (an honour which acknowledged the extinct title that had been held by his grand-uncle, and predecessor at Holkham Hall, Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester (1697 - 1754.) The current 7th Earl of Leicester of Holkham is a descendant.