Sir John Tilton

  General Notes:

John Tilton Sr. Lived an active, usefull and honorable life and as one of the pioneer developers of the State of New Jersey. A man of strong conviction and personality, he had fought for the principle of religious freedom, a principle that has become firmly woven into American social fabric. John and his brother Peter immigrated from England and settled in Lynn Massachusetts between the years 1630 and 1640, during the great puritian emigration to this country and during the troublous times of King Charles 1 [1625 - 49]. In England the Tilton Church was founded by our family [1190] . The Digbies who fell at Towton 1461 were called De Tilton and Sir Everard Digby of Tilton and Drystoke, who died in 1509 the last who bears the name Tilton. The early Norman tower of the Tilton Church was built in 1190, the sprie in 1380, the south aisle in 1390 and the elderstory in 1490. John and his wife Mary were fined many times for Quakerism. The Dutch attemted many times to have them ordered out of the province but the Tilton's never left the Colony of Gravesend. While at Gravesend John explored the central part of the State of New Jersey, coming by way of boat, across the Bay and acted as interpreter in purchase of three counties, Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex, from the Indians in 1664 and 65. John Died in 1688 in Gravesend, Long Island N.Y. and Mary died on May 23, 1683 also in gravesend.

In 1636 three brothers, John, William, Peter Tilton came from Leicester County England, to America. The town ship from whence they came was Tilton (On The Hill). The Town was first mentioned In 1050 In the Confessor's Reign. A Coat of Arms found In Portsmouth, N.H. made In 1225 Is Identical to the Noble House of Digby, and Proves Decent.

New Info just found
Found a letter that was sent to the Delaware Historical Society from L. W. Tilton It reads there is not as direct proop as could be desired as to antecedents of Thomas of Delaware, but the circumstancial evidance is good, and i would say it is a very good inference, rather than" just an assumption" Tiltons were scarce. Humphrey of Md. is the only other line of which I have heard and I find rather complete records of his Family and the males soon died out. See pg 205 fn, re deed from his sister Mary Bowman. See also Pg 107 - 110 re - settlement in Del. Of his sister Sarah or at least her hasband John Painter. Similarly two nephews. signed L. W. Tilton.


Individual Notes
Note for: John Tilton, 4 Mar 1612/1613 - 29 Mar 1688 Index
Individual Note:
OCCUPATION: 1ST TOWN CLERK GRAVESEND COLONY 1646. OWNED PART OF CONEYISLAND
BIOGRAPHY: PRIVATE DOCUMENT- LETTER- FROM MRS MARJORIE CROTTS, MESA ,AR.TO
in Lynn by 1640, Will proved 3 April 1688
BIRTH: MARRIAGE DEATH: JOHN E. TILTON, STERRETT,AL. DATED 2 MARCH 1993.IN POSS OF COMPILER.
BIO: Tilton, Francis Theodore. HISTORY OF THR TILTON FAMILY IN AMERICA.NEW
JERSEY:1939 pg 11.
BIOGRAPHY: Dubrett Ancestry Research LTD. letter to Mr Earle B. Tilton,datad 10 November 19 86. Copy in possession of compiler
in Lynn by 1640, Gravesend, Long Island by 1647. Willproven 3 April 1688
Birth date BIOGRAPHY: Don R. Cook, Grandma was A Tilton,Prudent Pelican
Publishing, FT Collins, Co,1996
name DATE:Historical and Genealogical Miscellany, early settlers of NewJersey and their dec endants, John Stillwell, New York, 1932. VOL V, pg143.
HISTORY: Jones, William H, William Tilton: His English Origins and SomeAmerican Descendant s, Haritage Books Inc, Maryland, (1997)pg 58
Encyclopedia of Quaker Genealogy, 1750-1939, Vol III, New York MonthlyMeeting, page 316

John was educated at Rugby School in Rugby, England. John came to Lynn,Massachusetts sometim e around 1639. In 1643, John and his young familymoved to Gravesend, Long Island, in what wa s then New Amsterdam. OnSeptember 7, 1646, John was elected Town Clerk, a position he held u ntil1662. John, and his wife, Mary were among the first Americans to becomeQuakers.

The Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant, made continualefforts to stamp out "t hese raving
Quakers" by fines and imprisonment.John Tilton and his wife Mary were among thos e who had to endure hardpersecutions. Mary Tilton, wife of John Tilton, was charged with th ecrime of having gone, like a sorceress from door to door to lure andseduce the people, eve n young girls, to join the Quakers. John wascharged with having permitted Quakers to quake a t his house in Gravesend.

John was a signatory to a letter to the Governor of New York whichexplained why the Friend s (Quakers) could not help build the fort in NewYork harbour. The letter was dated October 3 0, 1672.

Over the years John helped create several new settlements of Quakers. Henegotiated the purch ase of more Long Island land from the CarnaiseIndians, and purchased the Barren Islands of f the coast of Long Islandfrom another Indian tribe. He gained a reputation as an Indian interpreter, as well as an effective negotiator. John assisted as aninterpreter in the first pu rchase of Indian land in an area of NewJersey which was later to become Monmouth County. Th e purchase wasfinalized on January 25, 1664.
Reg of early settlers of kings co
TILTON, JOHN, said to have come over with Lady Mody, was among the early settlers of Gd in 1646, in which year he was granted plantation-lot No. 18, as per town rec. He m. Mary (???), who d. May 23, 1683, at Gd, and he d. in 1688. Town-clerk in 1650, '51, '52, '53, mag. in 1674, and on ass. roll of 1683. Nov. 1, 1665, as per town rec., he bought of Gov. Baxter plantation-lot No. 19, formerly of Thos Greedy; also "a piece of land purchased of Robert Penyer (Pennoyer) as also further confirmed unto me by Monnr Pieter Stuyvesant late Governor," etc., containing 75 Dutch morgens, "and of ye wch James Hubbard & my selfe did bestow on ye town of Gravesend & was hired yearly as by these Records bearing date ye 7th December 1653. And the moyitie of ye other th ird pt. I doe now grant sell & make over by these presents unto ye said John Tilton," etc. Mar. 8, 1691-2, he sold to Coert Stevense (Voorhees) of Flds all his remaining real-estate in Gd for 295, reserving the use of the same for 12 months unless he so oner removed
Howard B French, Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas French, Vol II Privately printed in Philadelphia, 1913. pg 74,76,77,78
Rev. Arthur S Cole, The Scott Family of Shrewsbury, NJ. The Register Press, Red Banks, NJ 1908.
Pg 14

Teunis G. Bergen, Register In Alphabetical Order of the Early Settlers of Kings County., Long Island, N. Y.
1973, Polyanthos , Cottonport
page 303.
.William S Hornor, THIS OLD MONMOUTH OF OURS, Clearfield Company page 181.

Will of John Tilton of Gravesend. Dated Sept. 15, 1687. To John Painter £ 10. To John Tilton, Jr., a dwelling house. Residue of estate to be equally divided among children, namely: John Tilton, Peeter Tilton, Thomas Tilton, Sara Painter, Abigail Scott, Ester Spicer, and Mary Boman. Also to John Tilton and Samuele Spicer as executors, and also to William Richardson, a piece of land in Gravesend for a buriall place. Executors: Loving sons John Tilton and Samuell Spicer. Proved April 3, 1688. (Recorded in Liber i of Conveyances, page 108.)

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence: Warwickshier England. Town Clerk.

Sir married Mary Goodie Pearsall. (Mary Goodie Pearsall was born in 1620 in England and died on 23 May 1683 in Gravesend Long Island NY.)