Levin Bufkin (about 1533 – 1617) was an English landowner who served as MP for the borough of Maidstone.

Origins

He was the second but eldest surviving son of and heir to Ralph Bufkin (buried 11 January 1551), a mayor of

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

who in 1550 bought the estate of Gore Court in the parish of

Otham Otham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone, Maidstone district of Kent, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 523, with 204 dwellings. Buildings The village itself has been in existence since be ...

, and his first wife Alice Gregory. His paternal grandfather, also Levin Bufkin, was an immigrant from

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

. He had a legal training, entering

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in 1555.

Career

His main activity was acquiring and managing real estate, mostly around Maidstone and sometimes in co-operation with the Archbishopric of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

. In 1576 he obtained a grant of arms, his shield being ''Or, a chevron between three close helmets or''. At the general election of 1593, he and Sir

Thomas Fludd Sir Thomas Fludd (about 1530 – 1607), the son of Welsh parents, became a landowner in Kent, where he held several public offices. His youngest son was the scientist Robert Fludd. Origins His father was John Fludd, the surname an English form ...

were the two MPs chosen for Maidstone, both being appointed to the Committee on Kerseys. In 1595 he was one of the local notables appointed to administer a large bequest to the poor of the town. He did not stand again in the 1597 election and seems to have played no further part in public life.

Family

In about 1561 he married Mary, the daughter of Christopher Roper of

Lynsted Lynsted is a village in Lynsted with Kingsdown civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The village is situated south of the A2 road between Faversham and Sittingbourne and the nearest M2 junction is Faversham three miles east. Lyns ...

and his wife Elizabeth Blore and the sister of John Roper, 1st Baron Teynham. After her death, he married Anne, widow of Walter Mayne of

Biddenden Biddenden is a large, mostly agricultural and wooded village and civil parish in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The village lies on the Weald of Kent, some north of Tenterden. It was a centre for the Wealden iron industry and also of ...

and daughter of Sir

John Guildford Sir John Guildford, JP (by 1508 – 1565), of Hemsted in Benenden, also written Guilford, was an English landowner, administrator and politician. Origins Born by 1508, he was the only son of George Guildford (died by 1537), of Hemsted, who wa ...

of Hemsted in

and his wife Barbara West. His third wife was Sybil Cranmer, widow of Stephen Fullwell, who survived him. Children of Mary were Elizabeth, who married Sir Ralph Weldon of

Swanscombe Swanscombe Help:IPA/English, /ˈswɒnzkəm/ is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is 4.4 miles west of Gravesend and 4.8 miles east of Dartford. History Prehistory B ...

and had a son named Levin, and two girls who died young, Mary and Jane. Children of Anne were: *Catherine, who on 19 January 1600 at Bearsted married Thomas Fludd, heir of Sir Thomas, and had three children, including a son named Levin. *Barbara, buried unmarried in 1625 at Otham. *Henry, who on the same day as his sister Catherine married Thomas' sister Sarah Fludd, the pair having five children including a son named Levin. He died before his father, in 1612, and Sarah then married James Bromfield of Ewhurst. *Ralph (died 22 December 1638), who in 1621 married Anne Berners and had five children, including a son named Levin.

Death and legacy

His will dated 4 October 1616 asked for burial without pomp and, after a small bequest to the poor of the parish, provided first for his wife Sybil and his unmarried daughter Barbara. The rest of his lands and goods went to the children of his eldest son Henry and to his heir and executor, the surviving son Ralph. Dying on 24 November 1617, he was buried on 25 November in Otham parish church, where a monument to him has been erected.

References

1530s births 1617 deaths Politicians from Maidstone English landowners English MPs 1593 {{16thC-England-MP-stub