MATTHEW TILGHMAN-HIS HOME, HIS KINDRED, AND HIS PUBLIC SERVICES.

CONSIDER THY END

AND THY TIME WELL SPEND

& SOE SHALL THOU HAVE

A CROWN IN THY GRAVE

VALE

ITA DIXIT RICHARDUS TILGHMANUS
B. M.

IN ARTIG CHIRURGII

MAGISTER

QUI SUB HOC TUMULO

SEPULTUS EST

OBIIT JANRY 7th ANNO

1675.

vestry of the Parish of "Chester Church." The record of this church, then in Talbot County (now in Queen Anne's County), informs us that in 1697, when the second of the three early churches, which successively occupied the same site, was erected, one mile from Centreville, the means for its erection were advanced by Colonel Richard Tilghman, of the Hermitage, "the vestry engaging," as the record says, "to reimburse him all the necessary expenses." He had a large share in the management of the public affairs of the

Governor

The 5th of November was the day on which | Proprietary Government of Maryland. Richard Tilghman and his wife were "joyned" in John Hart was an intimate friend of Colonel holy matrimony. Richard, the son of Richard the immigrant, and father of Matthew, married Anna Maria Lloyd in 1700, who was a grand daughter of Madame Anne Neal, a maid of honor to Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles the First. From the record of his last will it appears that he divided a large landed property among his heirs, and left a large estate to his heirat-law. He was a zealous member of the Church of England, and for many years a member of the VOL. VI.-27

Richard Tilghman, as long as he lived, and when he died was buried at the Hermitage. He commissioned Richard Tilghman a Judge of the Provincial Court on the 21st of September, 1714; Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal on the 6th of November, 1721; and he was one of the Lord Proprietary's Council of State for many years. He had five sons, Richard, William, Edward, James, and Matthew-all of whom were men of distinction.

Washington, with the rank of Colonel. George Washington, speaking of him in a letter to June Sullivan, a member of the Continental Congress, says: "Tench Tilghman joined my family in Au gust, 1776, and was in every action in which the main army was concerned. He has been a zealous servant and slave to the publick, and a very faith

The first, Richard, was born April 28th, 1705, and was appointed Judge of the Provincial Court in March, 1754. He was the father of James Tilghman, the first Attorney-General of Maryland, after it became a State. This James Tilghman was a conspicuous member of the Convention which assembled at Annapolis from 1774 to 1777, to take action in regard to the arbitrary proceed-ful assistant to me for nearly five years, a greater ings of the King's ministry in England. Upon the organization of a Council of Safety for the Province of Maryland he was elected a member of this Council, and served as long as it continued in existence. He was the Chief Judge of the District Court of Maryland for the counties of Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne, and Talbot, in 1791. In 1804, when another judiciary system was established for Maryland, he was again appointed Chief Judge for the same District, and became a member of the Court of Appeals. In this capacity henal, under date of April 2rst, 1786, says: "Yo served until his death, in 1809.

William, the second son, was born on the 22d of September, 1711, and was a member of the General Assembly of Maryland for many years.

Edward, the third son, was born July 3d, 1713, and was a member of the General Assembly of Maryland, and one of the delegates from this Province to the "Stamp Act Congress' which assembled at New York, and one of the committee appointed by that body to prepare a memorial and a petition to the Lords in the Parliament of Great Britain. His son, Edward, was one of the most eminent members of the Philadelphia Bar of his time.

James Tilghman, the fourth son, was born December 6th, 1717. He was brought up to the law, and first pursued his profession in Talbot County, where he resided on his farm, near Easton. He married Anne Francis, daughter of Tench Francis, who was Attorney to the Lord Proprietor of Pennsylvania, and removed to Philadelphia, where he was considered a learned and distinguished lawyer. He was also a member of Penn's Council, and the Secretary of the Proprietary Land Office. He died August 24th, 1793, and left ten children, of whom Tench, the eldest son, born December 25th, 1747, was educated at Philadelphia under the direction of his grandfather, Tench Francis, and at the commencement of the Revolutionary War went out as a captain of one of the light infantry companies of Philadelphia, and afterwards became aid-de-camp and confidential secretary to General

part of which time he refused to receive pay." Colonel Tench Tilghman bore to Congress the news of the surrender of Cornwallis, and Congress, on the 29th of October, 1781, recognized is merit and abilities, and presented him with a horse properly caparisoned and an elegant sword. After the war closed he became a merchant, ani settled in Baltimore, where he married Anna Maria, daughter of his uncle, Matthew Tilghman. He died April 18th, 1786, and the Maryland Jour

terday evening were enterred in St. Paul's Church Yard with the greatest marks of respect, the remains of the late Colonel Tench Tilghman, ar eminent merchant of this town; he departe! from this life on Tuesday evening, after havirz languished a long time under a most distressing illness, in the forty-second year of his age-In publick life his name stands high as a Soldier and Patriot, his political conduct during the late wa having entitled him to the noblest praise, that of an independent, honest man; and his services in the honourable and confidential character of aidde-camp to his Excellency, General Washington, it the course of the glorious contest for Freedom and Independence deservedly obtained the approba tion of his chief and his country; as a private character, the deep affection of his family, the sorrow of his friends, and the universal regret of his fellow-citizens, show their sense of the heary loss they have suffered in the death of this worthy and amiable man." General Washington, in 1 letter of condolence to the father of Tench, says: "That you, Sir, should have the keenest angust for the loss, I can readily conceive. The ties of parental affection, united with those of friendshi could not fail to produce this effect. It is, bowever, a dispensation the wisdom of which is inscrutable; and amidst all your grief, there is s the consolation to be drawn, that while living, r man could be more esteemed, and since deid. none more lamented than Colonel Tilghman."

Matthew Tilghman, the fifth son, and the sub

ject of our paper, was born on the 17th day of February, 1718. He received the best education that the Eastern Shore of Maryland afforded at that time, being a pupil of the Rev. Jacob Jones, a clergyman of the Church of England in Cecil County. Matthew, at the age of fifteen years, was removed from his paternal home to that of Matthew Tilghman Ward, of Ward's Point, in Talbot County, who was his uncle by marriage, and his first cousin by blood. He was adopted as a son by him, and afterwards inherited from him an immense landed estate. His education was now continued under the direction of Mr. Ward, from whom he received the training which was to render him so serviceable during a long, active life, not only to Maryland, but also to the other Colonies. In 1741 he married Anne, a daughter of his uncle, James Lloyd, and a great granddaughter of Madame Anne Neal, before mentioned in this sketch.

The first post of responsibility to which Matthew Tilghman was appointed was that of commander of a troop of horse for protecting the outlying settlements from the incursions of those Indians who had remained on the Eastern Shore; at the same time he was made by the Governor of Maryland one of the Worshipful, the Commissioners and Justices of the Peace' for Talbot County, a position of much more honor and much higher character at that time than it has at present. Justices of the Peace in those days were Judges of the County Court. He was sent as a deputy from Talbot County to the Lower House of the Maryland Assembly, in 1751, and continued to be a member of that House, with but slight intermission, until the Province of Maryland was made an independent State, and adopted a new Constitution, under which the first Assembly met on the 5th of February, 1777. Matthew Tilghman was Speaker of the House in 1773, 1774, and 1775, and the President of the General Convention of the Province of Maryland, assembled at the City of Annapolis, from 1774 to 1777, except on December 8th, 1774, when John Hall was called to the chair, and May 8th, 1776, when Charles Carroll, barrister, presided (Matthew Tilghman being in his seat in the Continental Congress on the last-named date). Matthew Tilghman was also the chairman of the Committee of Correspondence, appointed December, 1774, and of the Council of Safety, appointed in July, 1775. He was the chairman of

every delegation which was sent by the Convention of Maryland to the Continental Congress assembled at Philadelphia, during that eventful period (1774 to 1777). It is evident from all the historical records of those times, that Matthew Tilghman was the Patriarch of Maryland during that epoch of decisive actions, that he was at the head of all political transactions in Maryland, and that he took an active share in the labors of the Continental Congress whenever he could do so without detriment to the interest of Maryland.

It is a singular circumstance that the high favor in which he was held by the people of Maryland, was the cause of the fact that his name is not found among those who signed the Declaration of Independence. At the time this instrument was signed, he was not only a member of the delegation to the Continental Congress, but was also a member, and the President, of the Maryland Convention which was then in session at Annapolis. In June, 1776, he was in his seat in the Congress at Philadelphia, and during that month was summoned to Annapolis, not only to be present, but to preside over the Convention. The labors of this Convention lasted uninterruptedly through the whole of that eventful July on the fourth day of which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. After an intermission of but two weeks a new Convention assembled in Maryland on the 14th of August, and remained in session until the 11th of November, 1776. This Convention framed the new Constitution for the State, and Matthew Tilghman was unanimously chosen its President. He was deeply engaged in the details of all the labors and works of that Convention. Although the presiding officer of that body, still so conspicuous and highly valued were his talents that one or other of the several committees to whom different subjects had been referred, met at his house every evening to procure his advice and assistance. It appears, therefore, that on account of Matthew Tilghman's valued services and eminent worth his presence was absolutely required at Annapolis, and he could not be spared to attend at Philadelphia. These circumstances alone prevented his being present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and having his name placed on the most brilliant page of American history, and deprived him of the honor of being mentioned by posterity forever, as one of those illustrious patriots who signed that instrument.