Finding Aid to the Tilghman Family Papers, MS 2600

H. Furlong Baldwin Library,
Maryland Historical Society

MS 2001 Lloyd Papers, 1658-1910
MS 2001.1 Edward Lloyd V Collection, 1796-1817
PP 242 Lloyd Family Photograph Collection, 1860-1930

Biographical Note

The Tilghman's of America descend from Dr. Richard Tilghman who, with his wife, Mary, came to America in 1660 and settled at the Hermitage in Queen Ann's County, MD. His older son Richard Tilghman II married Anna Maria Lloyd of the same county. Their son, William, married his cousin Margaret Lloyd and came into possession of Gross Coat, which remained the family seat for generations to come. Succeeding generations continued to add to the original parcel of land located on the Wye River in Talbot County.

Captain William Gibson Tilghman was born and raised at Gross Coat. In 1808, he married Anna Polk by which he had seven children. He died in June 1844 leaving his estate to be divided up equally among his six remaining children but giving Grosses itself to his son Richard Lloyd Tilghman.

Born at Grosses in 1811, as a second son, Richard followed the life his father believed best for him and joined the Navy as a midshipmen at the age of 19. For the next thirty years, he remained in the Navy, moving up to a Lieutenant and participating in the Mexican War. During one of his leaves in 1843, he married Agnes Riddell Owen, the daughter of Kennedy and Agnes (Riddell) Owen. She was born on November 24, 1814. For the next ten years, their relationship consisted mainly of correspondence and a few visits home, as Richard was stationed around Mexico and the Pacific Coast. During this time he was assigned to several ships; the U.S. Cyane, the U.S. Congress, and his own vessel, the Perry.

While Richard was on deployment with the navy, Agnes managed their home, splitting her time between Baltimore and Grosses. She was family oriented and kept in close contact with both her own as well as Richard's side of the family. She often visited relatives and even helped raise her sister's children after the death of her sister. While Richard was stationed away from home, she capably managed domestic issues, such as housekeeping and overseeing the harvest. Agnes also dealt with financial matters, such as buying and selling property and allocating resources. Richard and Agnes had eight children and she raised all of them. The love and admiration between Agnes and Richard can be seen in every letter. Richard Lloyd Tilghman died in September of 1867 leaving Agnes and seven remaining children. She later died on March 18, 1897.

Charles Henry Tilghman, the second child and eldest boy of Richard and Agnes, was born in January of 1846 while his father was at sea. After studying medicine in the U.S., twenty-two year old Charles left to study abroad. In England, he discovered he admired the English way of life and enjoyed London's social whirl. A year later, he reluctantly decided it was time to move on and traveled to Paris. He did not like it as much and began to travel around Europe. In 1870, he joined the Franco-Prussian War on the French side. Sometime after 1871, Charles returned home and continued his profession as a doctor. He married Elizabeth Donnell in November of 1881 with whom he had nine children. Charles Tilghman died at home in 1906.

His namesake and sixth child, Charles Henry, Jr., was born in 1890. At the beginning of World War I, he entered the army and was sent to Fort Niagara and Fort Meade for training. On graduating from these camps, he was appointed a captain in the National Army and in charge of a regiment on the front line. Here he was wounded in action, when he was hit in the eye, and thus received the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery. At the end of the war, he served as a liaison officer in Poland and Germany. Upon returning home, Charles, Jr. married Carolyn Ward. He died in April of 1954.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of the papers of the Richard Tilghman family, spanning five generations and including three major wars. The papers, mostly correspondence, are divided into subgroups of land papers, papers of the four principal family members, and finally miscellaneous papers.

1. Wills and Land Papers (1493; 1658-1821)-This section consists of the documents concerning the Tilghman estate Grosses (or Gross Coat as it was earlier known). Among them are deeds and surveys showing the additions to and the ownership of the plantation throughout the generations. Documents include surveys, deeds, wills, and indentures for such parcels of land as Gross Coat, the Adventure, Grosses Addition, Sawyer's Forest, Court Road and Dundee. Also included is a typed copy of the will of William Tilghman of London, dated 1493. (See also oversize.)
2. Captain William Gibson Tilghman (1831-1850)-His papers deal mainly with the division of his estate upon his death. They include correspondence between family and lawyers concerning the division, property lists for both Grosses and the Dundee farm, and a list of all his slaves including their age and value. Also included are the receipts and agreements of the final division showing the extent of each family member's acquisition. A letter from his son, Richard, describes Navy life in Norfolk, Virginia.
3. Lieutenant Richard Lloyd Tilghman (1830-1904)-The bulk of the collection falls into this section and consists of correspondence. The decade of correspondence between the Lieutenant and his wife, Agnes, gives a rich view of life for a young married women. Agnes writes of everyday life; her health; her children, including their illnesses; town life; the farm; his family and the death of his brother, Charles; and the hardships of being alone. Richard, in return, discusses his life on ship and his different duty-stations during the Mexican War. He talks of news from home and his views on the management of Grosses. Mixed in these letters are correspondence from other naval officers commending Richard on his service. Also included are his will and Agnes' widow pension records.
4. Doctor Charles Henry Tilghman (1868-1887)-This entire section includes correspondence from Charles to his mother, Agnes, while he is in Europe. The letters begin in London where he has gone to study medicine and give a lively account of a variety of interests in nineteenth century London and America such as English society and fashions, English servants versus American blacks, farming techniques, hospitals, the condition of the United States after the war, Yankee prejudice, and the expenses of living in London. A year later Charles moves to Paris where he continues to write home. Here he writes about the language, the differences of society, medical techniques, and his growing uncertainty about his profession. Probably because of this, he begins to travel writing of Germany, Baden-Baden, and his desire to go to Switzerland. Charles then joins the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871, describing in his letters the horrors of the war from the French side.
5. Captain Charles Henry Tilghman, Jr. (1917-1919)-The correspondence in this section deals with World War I and training of men before they were assigned to duty on the front line. Stationed in Fort Niagara, Charles describes life in an army camp: the daily routines, recreation, and the study of such techniques as handling hand grenades and learning trench warfare. His letters from Fort Meade give an adequate account of the building of this camp into an army training base. Later correspondence comes directly from the front live in Europe and from Base Hospital #18, in France, after he was wounded. At the end of the war, Charles writes of the hardships of bringing his regiment back across Europe and later, of his duties as liaison officer in Germany and Poland.
6. Miscellaneous (1753-1916, n.d.)-The remainder of the collection consists of miscellaneous items dated throughout the time span. Richard Tilghman's ledger (1790-1806) lists interesting and everyday expenses including documentation of family portraits by Charles Willson Peale (these portraits are owned by MHS). This section also includes the Tilghman family genealogy dating back to the Richard Tilghman of Henry IV's reign (see also oversize). More recent genealogical notes describe the ascendancy of Halloway Court, the Tilghman's estate in Kent, England. It also details the branch that moves to America as the descendants of this family. Another noteworthy item is the draft to James Donnell Tilghman's Maryland: A Guide to the Old Line State. These notes include descriptions of places and events in Maryland history. They discuss colonial and Maryland architecture, a history of the National Pike and other interesting tidbits of Maryland history. James gives a description of places of interest on two Maryland tours.

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