Sackville Tufton, 8th Earl of Thanet was the only surviving son of the 7th Earl and his wife, Lady Mary Saville, of Hothfield House, Kent. He succeeded to the earldom in 1753, while in Italy. From August 1752 to July 1753 he was in Rome with Lords Pembroke, Essex and Charlemont and in April 1753 visited Naples with Lords North and Dartmouth. However he was still in Rome in 1754, when he was recorded by Francis Macklay along with Pembroke, Essex and Bolingbroke at Tivoli: 'The Drawing [probably for P71 Distant View of Maecenas' Villa, Tivoli] was taken on the spot by Mr Wilson in the year 1754 in Company with the Earls of Pembroke Thanet and Essex and Ld Viscount Bolingbroke who dined and spent the Day together on the Spot under a large Tree.' (Hastings 1825, Introduction, p. 10).
See further: Clark & Bowron 1985 , pp. 258-59, cat. 177.
