Tench Tilghman’s Family

Tench’s grandfather was Richard Tilghman, a surgeon who was born in the County of Kent, England. In 1662, he moved his family to Talbot County, Maryland, settling in an area along the Third Haven River. Within a short time, Richard moved to the "Hermitage," located on the Chester River, then in Kent County, but today in Queen Anne’s County.

Tench Tilghman was born into a family of twelve children, of whom six were brothers who all became distinguished in their own right. In birth order by age, Tench was the eldest, followed by Richard, James, William, Philemon, and Thomas Ringgold Tilghman.

Richard Tilghman received his education in London, became a distinguished lawyer, and obtained employment in civil service with the East India Company under Warren Hastings. During this employment, Richard died at sea. James Tilghman, the third brother, was also a lawyer, and became one of the associate justices of Talbot County. William Tilghman was the most distinguished of the brothers as a lawyer. He was born in Talbot County on August 12, 1756, and following his family’s move to Philadelphia he studied law under Benjamin Chew. After receiving his law degree, he moved back to Maryland where he was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1783. In 1788 he became a member of the Maryland Legislature, and served for several years. In 1793, he moved to Philadelphia and began his practice there. When the United States Circuit Courts was established, William was appointed a judge of the Pennsylvania Circuit. Upon the law that established the United States Circuit Courts was repealed, he returned to his private practice and in 1805 was appointed president of the Court of Common Pleas in the first district. One year later in February 1806 he was the chief justice of the State Superior Court. In 1824 he served as president of the Pennsylvania Society and in 1809, prepared for the legislature a report on the English statutes in force in Pennsylvania. William Tilghman died in Philadelphia on April 30, 1827.

At the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, when hostilities began between Great Britain and the colonies, Tench was one of the first men determined to insure victory for the colonies. He joined the famous "Silk Stockings," a light infantry unit in Philadelphia. This unit was commanded by Captain Sharpe Dulaney, a decedent of one of Maryland’s more prominent families, and made up of men holding the best social positions in Philadelphia. Tilghman soon was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and upon the Silk Stockings joining George Washington’s army, Tench was promoted to Captain. Just prior to going into active service in July 1775, he was appointed secretary and treasurer of a commission that was comprised of Major-General Philip Schuyler, Major Joseph Hawley, Oliver Wolcott, Volkert P. Douw and Turbutt Francis, his maternal uncle. This commissions function was to secure the impartiality of the Indians located on the frontiers from Florida to Canada. They left New York on August 5, 1775, and returned to New York on September 4, after being successful in securing a treaty of peace with the Six Indian Nations.

By August 1776, Tench became aid-de-camp, holding the rank of lieutenant-general on the staff of George Washington, the commander-in-chief. At this time, Washington’s close military "family" consisted of Colonel Robert Harrison of Maryland, and Colonels Meade and Webb. A short time later, Colonel Webb was promoted, bringing in Colonel Alexander Hamilton to fill his vacancy in 1777.

At this time in the army, there were no regulations regarding the order of promotions. Consequently, George Washington, in an attempt to reconcile the many disagreements that existed among the military personnel in this issue, wrote to the Honorable John Sullivan, a member of congress, in the hope that he would be able to have congress adopt rules addressing this matter. Washington, in this letter of May 11, 1781, wrote the following concerning Tench Tilghman: "I also wish, though it is more a private than of public consideration, that the business could be taken up on account of Mr. Tilghman, whose appointment seems to depend on it; for if there are men in the army deserving of the commission proposed for him, he is one of them. This gentleman came out a captain of one of the light-infantry companies of Philadelphia, and served in the Flying Camp in 1776. In August, of the same year, he joined my family, and has been in every action in which the main army was concerned. He has been a zealous servant and slave to the public, and a faithful assistant to me for nearly five years, a great part of which time he refused to receive pay. Honor and gratitude interest me in his favor, and make me solicitous to obtain his commission. His modesty and love of concord placed the date of his expected commission at the first of April, 1777, because he would not take rank of Hamilton and Meade, who are declared aids in order (which he did not chose to be), before that period, although he had joined my family and done all the duties of one from the first September preceding."

On June 9, 1783, Tench Tilghman married Anna Maria Tilghman, the daughter of his uncle, the Honorable Matthew Tilghman. Following the war on January 1, 1784, Tilghman formed a business partnership with Robert Morris, in Baltimore. Morris was the financier of the Revolutionary War, that also improved the economic well-being of the state of Maryland. Their business, called Tench Tilghman & Company was quite a success and continued until the death of Tench Tilghman on April 18, 1786. Initially, Tench Tilghman’s remains were buried at St. Paul’s Cemetery located at Fremont and Lombard Streets in Baltimore. In 1973, his remains were moved from St. Paul’s to Oxford Cemetery in Oxford, Maryland. Located at his grave is the Tench Tilghman Monument. Across the cove from the cemetery is Plimhimmon, the former home of Tilghman’s widow, Anna Marie. She too is buried in Oxford cemetery. On Old Villa Road near Easton is a carved stone marking the birthplace of Tench Tilghman.

Upon the death of Tilghman, many who knew him expressed their sorrow as well as their words of tribute to him. Robert Morris said, "You have lost in him a most faithful and valuable friend. He was to me the same. I esteemed him very much, and I lament his loss exceedingly." General Knox, in a letter to Anna Marie said, "Death has deprived you of a most tender and virtuous companion, and the United States of an able and upright patriot. When time shall have smoothed the severities of your grief, you will derive consolation from the reflection that Colonel Tilghman acted well his part in the theatre of human life, and that the supreme authority of the United States have expressly given their sanction to his merit."