John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet

John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet (15 December 1608 – 7 May 1664) was an English nobleman and supporter of Charles I of England. He was the eldest son of Nicholas Tufton, 1st Earl of Thanet and Lady Frances Cecil granddaughter of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley.

On 21 April 1629, he married Lady Margaret Sackville (1614–1676), daughter of Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset and Lady Anne Clifford. They had eleven children:

• Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet (1631–1679)
• Lady Margaret Tufton (b. 13 July 1636), married George Coventry, 3rd Baron Coventry on 18 July 1653
• John Tufton, 4th Earl of Thanet (1638–1680)
• Richard Tufton, 5th Earl of Thanet (1640–1684)
• Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet (1644–1729)
• Col. Sackville Tufton (c. 1647–1721)
• Lady Anne Tufton, died young
• Lady Frances Tufton, married Henry Drax, died without issue
• Lady Cicely Tufton (2 June 1648 – 30 December 1672), married on 12 February 1667 Christopher Hatton, 1st Viscount Hatton
• Lady Mary Tufton (d. February 1674), married Sir William Walter, 2nd Baronet (d. 1693)
• Lady Anne Tufton, married Samuel Grimston

Thanet was a staunch Cavalier, taking part in the Battle of EdgeHill and in 1642 led a regiment of 100 horse to try to raise a rebellion in Sussex taking part in the Battle of Muster Green and the Siege of Chichester in support of Sir William Brockman in Kent. However, Brockman's revolt quickly collapsed and the Earl was forced to surrender. He suffered considerably from confiscations and sequestrations of his large estates during the English Civil War.

Among his properties was Bodiam Castle, purchased from the Levett family in 1639, which Thanet sold for £6,000 in 1644.

Curiously, he was succeeded as Earl of Thanet by four of his sons in succession, the first three having no issue.