Kent, Charles Egleton, Sir, 1st Baronet, of Fornham, St Genevieve, Suffolk (1743 -1811)

Probably the crest of Sir Charles Egleton Kent 1st Baronet, who was the only son of Charles Egleton, a London merchant, and his wife Sarah Kent, only daughter of Samuel Kent, of Fornham St. Genevieve in Suffolk, and Member of Parliament for Ipswich. On his uncle’s death in 1759, he inherited his property both in London and Suffolk, and took Kent as an additional surname. He was Sheriff of Suffolk, 1781-1782, and was created a baronet in August 1782, on the recommendation of his friend and neighbour, the Duke of Grafton. He entered Parliament in the Duke's interest for Thetford in 1786. On 20th May 1771, he married Mary Wordsworth, daughter and coheir of Josiah Wordsworth, of Wordsworth, Yorkshire. Sir Charles and Lady Kent commissioned James Wyatt to build an imposing Palladian house, Fornham Hall at Fornham St. Genevieve in Suffolk. It was subsequently sold to the Duke of Norfolk. Following her husband's death on 14 March 1811, Lady Kent lived in Poynton House, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, where she died on 17 September 1817. Sir Charles was succeeded as 2nd Baronet by his son, whose name was also Sir Charles Egleton Kent.