 Coke was again returned to Parliament in 1790 , sitting continuously until 1832 , and he primarily spoke on matters of local interest , such as the Corn Laws . His second focus was on civil liberties , and he spoke out against the government 's response to the Peterloo Massacre and similar events . Described as the " greatest commoner in England " , he chose the passage of the Great Reform Act 1832 as the moment to retire , later being made the Earl of Leicester in July 1837 . After a short illness , Coke died on 30 June 1842 , and was succeeded as Earl by his son Thomas . Coke 's main legacy is as an agricultural reformer , not as a politician ; he has historically been credited with sparking the British Agricultural Revolution through the reforms he made to farming on his estates . Later historians have questioned this , however , noting that the developments credited to him are most likely the work of other individuals ; nevertheless , he has still been described as " the real hero of Norfolk agriculture " . 
