although he only spoke on the subject once, and chose its passage on 4 June 1832 as the appropriate moment to retire as an MP. As the "greatest commoner in England", Coke finally accepted a peerage in July 1837 (having been offered one six times before), becoming the Earl of Leicester. He took no pleasure in attending the House of Lords, however, describing it as "the hospital for incurables". Death Coke remained in the prime of life after his retirement; records show him killing 24 deer with 25 shots at the age of 79, and having another child three years later. A portrait painted of him which appears to be of a man 20 years younger, is according to Stirling "no flattering likeness", but instead completely accurate. After a short and painful illness while visiting his estate (and childhood home) at Longford Hall, Derbyshire, Coke died in the early hours of 30 June 1842 at the age of 88; his last words were reported to be "well, perhaps I have talked too much". The body lay in state for two days, with the funeral procession finally setting out on 7 July. It travelled through King's Lynn, where black flags of mourning were flown and thousands came to pay their respects. On the final leg of the journey, with a funeral procession two miles in length led by 150 Holkham tenants on horseback and followed by several hundreds of private carriages, 200 gentlemen on horseback, riding two abreast, and lastly, a long train of neighbours, tenants and yeomen, Coke was eventually buried at the family mausoleum in Tittleshall on 11 July. Immediately after Coke's death, a committee formed to create a monument to him; over a thousand subscribers contributed £5,000. The eventual Coke Monument, found in the grounds of Holkham Hall, was designed by William Donthorne and finally completed in 1851. Wilhelmina Stirling wrote a 2-volume Life of Thomas William Coke. The earldom and the Holkham estate passed to his son Thomas. Family By his first wife Jane Dutton he had three daughters: Lady Jane Elizabeth Coke (1777–1863), married first Charles Howard, Viscount Andover (1775–1800), son of John Howard, 15th Earl of Suffolk; married second Admiral Sir Henry Digby (1770–1842). They had two sons, including Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby, and one daughter, the socialite and adventuress Jane Digby. Lady Anne Margaret Coke (1779–1843), married Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson. They