John Tufton (cricketer)

John Tufton (23 November 1773 – 27 May 1799) was a noted English cricketer of the 1790s, and a Member of Parliament (MP). He was an all-rounder who is believed to have been right-handed as both a batsman and a bowler. As a bowler, he may have been a fast underarm type but this is not certain.

John Tufton belonged to an aristocratic family that was prominent in cricketing and other sporting circles. His parents were Sackville Tufton (1733–1786), the 8th Earl of Thanet, 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. Sackville and Dorset were famous patrons of Kent cricket. Tufton's younger brother was the Honourable Henry Tufton (1775–1849), later the 11th Earl of Thanet, who was also a noted amateur cricketer. If John Tufton had lived a longer life, he would have been the 11th Earl.

There is a painting by Joshua Reynolds of John Tufton as a young child playing with his dog.

Tufton made his debut in major cricket for MCC in a game against Kent at Dartford Brent in June 1793.

Arthur Haygarth in Scores and Biographies says of Tufton that "his performances both as a batsman and as a bowler may be said to have been very good, if the early age at which he died is taken into consideration".

Haygarth adds that Tufton was the first player ever to be recorded as being given out leg before wicket. This happened in a match at Moulsey Hurst in August 1795, when Tufton played for an England XIII versus Surrey. The bowler was John Wells. In his notes about that game, Haygarth says: In this match, "leg before wicket" is found scored for the first time. In Britcher's printed score-book, Mr J. Tufton is in this match put down as bowled merely, and the leg before wicket added in a note. At first, when any one was got out in this way, it was marked down as simply bowled, and the leg before wicket omitted.

In all, John Tufton played in 63 major matches until August 1798. His final game was for All-England versus Surrey at the original Lord's Cricket Ground. He was still only 25 when he died soon after the 1799 English cricket season began. The details of his death, including the location, are unclear but it seems he had tuberculosis.

Tufton was elected at the 1796 general election as MP for the borough of Appleby in Westmorland, and held the seat until his death.

John Tufton was buried in the family vault at Rainham Church in Kent. Haygarth says he had no monument and only a simple plaque on his coffin that stated:

The Honourable John Tufton

Died 27th May, 1799

In his 26th year