In early life he spent much time abroad, especially in Vienna, where he formed an alliance with a Hungarian lady, Anne Charlotte de Bojanowitz, to whom he was married, under the Anglican rite, at St. George's, Hanover Square, on 28 February 1811.
Thanet and others were charged with having created a riot in the court and put out the lights in an attempt to rescue the prisoner, or at least to help his escape.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan appeared to give evidence for the accused, and distinguished himself by parrying eight times, and finally evading, the question of Edward Law, counsel for the prosecution, ‘Do you believe Lord Thanet meant to favour the escape of O'Connor?’ Having been found guilty of riot and assault at Maidstone, Thanet was brought up for judgment on 3 May, and committed to the King's Bench prison, the bail offered by the Duke of Bedford being refused.
After his release the Earl lived quietly at Hothfield, and became a popular agriculturist, regularly visiting the agricultural market at Ashford.
Leaving no issue, he was succeeded in turn by his brothers Charles (1770–1832) and Henry Tufton (1775–1849), eleventh and last earl of Thanet.