Thomas Tilden (1619-1705) of Tenterden, Kent and Scituate & Marshfield, Mass., and His Wives Elizabeth Bourne and Mary Holmes

Thomas Tilden was baptized St. Mildred’s Church, Tenterden, Kent on 19 January 1618/19, the son of Nathaniel Tilden and Lydia Huckstep. [French] I wrote about his parents here.In March 1634/5, when Thomas was 16 years old, he migrated to New England with his parents, six siblings and the family’s seven servants, settling at Scituate in Plymouth Colony. [French] His father was a wealthy, prominent man of the English gentry. Thomas is my 11th great-grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.

Thomas Tilden is of Scituate in the 1643 list of men able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony. [Records of New Plymouth, Colony, hereafter PCR, 8:187-196] The area where the Tilden’s lived later became known as North Marshfield. 

At 1646 Marshfield Town Meeting, Jos. Beadle, John Gorham & Thos. Tilden were chosen as Raters, men who assessed property values to determine tax rates. The sum they are to raise was £2 10s for a public charge, and 47 shillings and a penny for the charges of the Committee & other considerations, the town is “willing the sum of five pounds & twelves shillings be raised in the whole.” [Richardson]

The 1652 Marshfield town records show Thomas was a good shot from a young age:  “It is agreed that Thomas Tilden shall be paid twelves shillings for the killing of a wolf.” [Richardson] Thomas Tilden took the Oath of Fidelity in Marshfield in 1657. [Davis]

Around 1653 Thomas married, first, Elizabeth (Bourne) Waterman—Elizabeth’s first husband died in December 1652 [Mayflower Descendant, hereafter MD, 2:5] and her first child with Thomas was born June 1654. Elizabeth was born 1618 in Kempsey, Worcestershire, daughter of Thomas Bourne. [MD 11:100-4] Elizabeth had married, first, Robert Waterman on 11 December 1638  [Plymouth VR p 653] with whom she had four sons. I also descend from Elizabeth and Robert’s son John Waterman who married Ann Sturtevant. 

Proof of their marriage is found in the 2 May 1664 will of Elizabeth’s father Thomas Bourne of Marshfield, in which Bourne left bequests to his daughter Lydia Tilden’s daughter Lydia as well as John, Thomas, Joseph, and Robert Waterman who were sons of Elizabeth and Robert Waterman. [Winsor] 

Thomas married a bit late for the times, being about 34 years old. Scituate Historian Samuel Deane wrote there was a lack of records pertaining to him as an adult and thought he may have returned to England. If he did go to England, he certainly did not remain there.

When widow Elizabeth Waterman was settling her husband Robert’s estate, she sold his Marshfield homestead to Thomas Tilden to obtain money to satisfy the creditors and, marrying the purchaser, continued in possession of the property by this “neat arrangement.” [Davis] This is the first time I have come across a transaction like this among my ancestors, and I admire Thomas for doing this for Elizabeth unless of course he just wanted a nice piece of land!

Elizabeth died in December 1663 at about age 45; she was buried at Marshfield on 12 December 1663. [Marshfield VR p 212] 

Thomas married, second, at Marshfield on 24 January 1664[/5?] Mary Holmes [Marshfield VR p 5], daughter of William Holmes. [Anderson]

Based on names mentioned in his will with those included in vital records, Thomas had ten children born Marshfield. It is not entirely clear which of his wives is the mother of some of the children or their exact birth order. Elizabeth was definitely the mother of the first three children, two of which died shortly after birth:

1. Unnamed son born 25 June 1654; buried 29 June 1654 [Marshfield VR in MD 2:5]
2. Unnamed son born 4 Oct 1655 and buried following day [Marshfield VR in MD 2:5]
3. Lydia born 26 April 1658 [Marshfield VR 1:5]; of Plymouth on 14 June 1680 when she married Samuel Ryder/Rider at Taunton [Plymouth Colony Records in NEHGS Register, hereafter NEHGR, 9:316]; she died Plymouth 17 Sept 1740 [Plymouth VR 2:7]
4. Mary who married Anthony Sprague by 1691 [Torrey]
5. Thomas who married Hannah Mendall 20 December 1692 [Marshfield VR 1:4]
6. Hannah living in 1704 when named in her father’s will
7. Elizabeth living in 1704 when named in her father’s will 
8. Margery living in 1704 when named in her father’s will 
9. Experience m in Marshfield 26 April 1698 Daniel Thomas [Marshfield VR in NEHGR 6:349]; living in 1704 when named, without a surname, in her father’s will
10. John son of Thomas Tilden died Marshfield 20 April 1685 [Early Records of Marshfield, NEHGR 8:228]

I descend from Lydia. I wrote about Lydia and here husband here.

Thomas’ estate inventory indicates he was in the militia by the inclusion of arms and armor, that he was literate as he owned books although he signed his will by a mark but perhaps that was due to age or infirmity. 

Thomas was involved in public service:

• He served on grand inquest 7 June 1653 Court, on 5 March 1660/1 he served on a jury that was impaneled to enquire how Jeremiah Burroughs of Marshfield came by his death and which was found to be accidental drowning [PCR 3:32, 208]; on grand inquest 1 June 1663 court [PCR 4:37]; served on jury 5 March 1667/8 [PCR 8:143-4]; 8:156 Thomas Tilden member of the jury on 6 July 1669; on 5 July 1671 jury [PCR 8:167]; on 1 July 1672 jury [PCR 8:172]; on 4 July 1673 jury [PCR 8:181]; 3 July 1679 jury [PCR 9:217].
• Tho Tilden and William Foard selected surveyor of highways for Marshfield at 3 June 1657 Court. [3:116]
• Thomas Tilden was a Constable in 1648 but found himself at court for allowing two prisoners to escape. [Davis] 

Thomas appears in several records concerning land, sometimes as a witness:

• Thomas Tilden witnessed a 13 November 1643 deed where his brother Joseph Tilden purchased land near north river in Scituate for £8 from Samuel House of Cambridge, ship carpenter. [PCR 12:101]
• Manasseh Kempton sold to Joseph Tilden of Scituate land near north river in Scituate, on 28 January 1644. Witnessed by Thomas Tilden on 3 March 1644. [PCR 12:106]
• On 9 April 1650 Jacob Cooke of Plymouth for £16 paid by Moris Truant of Marshfield, for land of about 100 acres near North River. To be divided equally betwixt Moris Truant and Tho Tilden who hath Purchased the other halfe of the aforsaid Tract both of upland and meadow of John Cooke to whom it formerly belonged. [PCR 12:185]
• On 3 Oct 1650 John Cook Jr of Plymouth sold for £23 paid by Thomas Tilden of Marshfield, yeoman, upland at North River, near land of Lt William Holmes and John Rogers, of 212 acres, and meadow, near the grant unto Francis Cook and John Cook. [PCR 12:196]

At 7 June 1651 Court, Tho Tilden and Moris Truant complained against Joseph Tilden, in an action of the case, to the damage of £5. The jury found for the plaintiffs, and assessed 3 shillings damage and the charges of the suit of £2 2s. [PCR 8:54] Strange to see Thomas was involved in a court case against his brother Joseph Tilden.

On 27 July 1648, Thomas Tilden, second son of Nathaniel Tilden, signed a document stating he was satisfied with the dispersal of his father Nathaniel’s estate according to his 25 May 1641 will, in which Thomas received legacies of land and goods, and that his brother Joseph was executor. [PCR 12:161] 

At 5 October 1652 court, Mr. Hatherley was appointed to make an enquiry concerning a stray steer which is at Thomas Tilden’s, at the North River, in the bounds of Marshfield, which Mis[tress] Richards layeth claim unto. [PCR 3:18]

In 1672, when about age 50, he made a deposition about the condition of “poor dropsical” Ralph Chapman when the latter made his will but could not use his hands to sign it due to swelling. [Davis]

In the 25 May 1641 will of his father Nathaniel Tilden, gentleman of Scituate, he left to “my son Joseph a double portion, viz: as much more as my other sons, that is as much as both my other sons Thomas and Steeven equally to be divided out of my lands and goods.” [MD 3:220-22, transcribing PCPR 1:37]

From what I have read, Thomas Tilden lived in the Green Harbor area of Marshfield. After marrying Elizabeth, they resided on the land originally purchased by her first husband Robert Waterman. It was situated on Marshfield Neck, north of the South River. 

Later map but indicates Green Harbor location

Thomas Tilden of Marshfield wrote his will 1 February 1704/5  “being in health & of sound mind & memory tho very aged praised be to God.” [Plymouth County probate file 20763] He left the following bequests:

• To my well loved wife Mary one half of all my housing & lands of what kind or nature forever for & during the term of her natural life
• To my son Thomas Tilden all the other half of my housing & land & also the aforesaid half of my housing & lands bequeathed to my wife I give to my son Thomas Tilden to be enjoyed by him after his mother’s decease
• Thomas to pay to my son-in-law Anthony Sprague the sum of seven pounds, remaining due of my daughter Mary his wife’s portion
• To my daughter Mary Sprague five shillings
• To my daughter Lidia Rider 20 shillings over & above the portion I have formerly given her
• To my daughter Margery the sum of ten pounds
• I give & bequeath to my so beloved wife my best bed & furniture & one third part of all my goods & chattels, my debts & legacy’s aforesd being first paid & all the remainder of my goods & chattels I give & bequeath to my four daughters Hannah, Elizabeth, Margery, & Experience to be equally divided amongst them, only first I give my daughter Elizabeth twenty shillings

He named well-beloved wife Mary Tilden and son Thomas Tilden executors. Thomas Tilden signed by his mark; witnesses were Tobias Oaksman and Elizabeth Oaksman if I’m deciphering the handwriting correctly. They made oath to the will on 21 May 1705, and on the same day administration of the estate was granted unto Mary Tilden his relict widow and Thomas Tilden his son.

Thomas Tilden of Marshfield’s inventory was taken 27 April 1705. It did not include real estate and totaled just £73 11 shillings. It include armor and ammunition, books, ironware, brassware, horse, sheep, swine, cattle, wheels, loom, £4 4s in cash. The estate was owed £3 16s 4 d in debts and owed just 1s 4d in debts. 

The burial location of Thomas, Elizabeth and Mary are not known, but it is likely Old Winslow Burying Ground, the early cemetery in town. Elizabeth’s name, with her first husband Robert Waterman’s, are inscribed on a monument at the cemetery that honors the memory of the early settlers of Green Harbor. 

Memorial at Old Winslow Burying Ground Source: Findagrave.com

Sources:

Torrey’s New England Marriages to 1700

Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration Begins, 1995

Jay and Delene Holbrook, transcribers, Vital Records of Marshfield, Massachusetts

Elizabeth French (transcribed by) and communicated by Committee of English Research, NEHGS Register, “Genealogical Research in England,” Reg 65:322-333 (Oct 1911)

Justin Winsor (communicated by), NEHGS Register, “Abstracts of the Earliest Wills in the Probate Office, Plymouth,” 6:185

Walter Goodwin Davis,  The Ancestry of Joseph Neal, 1769-c.1835, of Litchfield, Maine, 1945

Donald Lines Jacobus, The Granberry Family and Allied Families (Hartford: E. F. Waterman, 1945)

Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England, 12 vols. (New York: AMS Press, 1968)

Lysander Salmon Richards, History of Marshfield, volume 1, 1901

Samuel Deane, History of Scituate Massachusetts, From Its First Settlement to 1831, 1831