Person:Nathaniel Tilden (1)

Came to America from Sandwich, England on the ship Hercules.

Tilden (Eng): One who came from Tillingdown (Tilmund's Hill), in Surrey; or from Tilden (Tila's Valley), in Kent. (New Dictionary of American Family Names, by Elsdon C. Smith, published by Harper & Row, 1973)

Nathaniel Tilden was baptized in Tenterden, County Kent, 28 July 1583, the son of Thomas and Alice (Biggs) Tilden. Background on his family is given in NEHGR 65:322, 75:226, and 114:153. Tilden came to New England in the Hercules 1634-35 accompanied by his wife Lydia (Huckstep), seven children, and seven servants. He settled in Scituate and he probably died there between May and July 1641. All the children of Nathaniel and Lydia Tilden were born in England, five dying there prior to the family's departure. The children were Thomas, who died young; Mary, who married Thomas Lapham; Joseph, who died young; Sarah who married George Sutton; Joseph, who married Alice or Elizabeth Twisden; Stephen, who died young; Thomas, who married Elizabeth (Bourne) Waterman; Judith, who married Abraham Preble; Winifred, who died young; Lydia, who died young; Lydia who married Richard Garrett; and Stephen, who married Hannah Little. Mary and Sarah were married on the same day, 13 March 1636-37 (NEHGR 9:286), and their husbands were Tilden's servants. After his death, his widow Lydia married Timothy Hatherly. Elizabeth French shows in NEHGR 70:256 that Lydia (Huckstep) (Tilden) Hatherly was a cousin of Thomas Hatch, q.v., who also came to New England in the Hercules and settled at Scituate. Tilden was of the gentry and addressed as "Mr.", and he was one of the wealthier Scituate residents.

He dated his will 25 May 1641, inventory 31 July 1641, and he names his wife Lydia and his children Stephen; Lydia; Joseph; Thomas; Judith; Mary, the wife of Thomas Lapham; and Sarah, the wife of George Sutton; and he also mentioned two indentured servants, Edward Jenkins and Edward Tarte. (MD 3:220) (Plymouth Colony Biographical Sketches)

Nathaniel Tilden's Will

"In the Name of God Amen the five and twentyeth Day of May Anno Dni 1641 I Nathaniell Tilden of Scittuate of New England wthin America gen being sick and weake of body but of good and prfect remembrance (thanks be given to God therefore) Do make ordaine and appoynt this my last will and testament in manner and forme as followeth. And first I will and bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God my creator and maker, and to Jesus Christ my redeemer by whose death and merits onely I hope to obtain everlasting salvation, and my body to be conveyed unto the earth from whence it was taken, at the place where it shall please God to put an end unto my Dayes. And as concerneing my worldly goods and estate wherewth it hath pleased God to blesse me I will give and bequeath in manner and forme as followeth. And first I will give & bequeath unto Lidea my welbeloved wyfe all her weareing apparell both linnen and wollen, also one bed furnished wch shee shall please to take also the greate trunck, also I give unto my said wyfe three paire of sheetes and two paire of pillow-coates wch shee shall please to take, one long table cloth one square table cloth one dosen of middle napkins and half a dosen of other napkins two long towells twelve peeces of pewter wch shee shall please to choose, and of wodden vessells so many as shee shall thinke to be convenient for her use also three silver spoones & two of my best cusheons, also I give unto my said wyfe one peece of white fusteon wch shee shall please to take, also my two cloakes, also tenn bushells of Corne, five of English and five of Indian, also my will is that shee shall have the whole prfitt of my whitefaced cow and the calves and prfitt wch shall come of her During the tyme of her naturall life, to be mayntained and kept for her by mine Executor hereafter menconed. Also my will is that my said wyfe shall have and enjoy the prfitts of one house and lands thereunto belonging wherein one Richard Lambert now Dwelleth being in the prish of Tenterden in Kent in old England During the terme of her naturall life, after the Decease of the said Richard Lambert Item my mynd and will is that my two yeongest children Lidea & Steeven shalbe manytayned both for meate drink apparell & lodging by myne Executor hereafter mentioned yet so as my aforesaid wyfe shall have the education and Disposeing of them All the residue of my goods my will and mynd is shalbe Disposed of in manner and forme as followeth. And first I will and bequeath unto my sonn Joseph A Double portion (vizt) asmuch more as my other sonnes, that is asmuch as both my other sonnes Thomas and Steeven equally to be devided out of my lands and goods Itm my will is that my yeongest daughte(r) Lidea Lydea shall have half asmuch as one of my yeonger sonnes Thomas and Steeven Item I will unto my Daughter Judet one Cow Item I will and bequeath unto Mary my Daughter the wife of Thomas Lapham tenn shillings of lawfull money of England also to Sara my Daughter the wyfe of Georg Sutton tenn shillings of lawfull money of England, to be payd to either of them wthin one yeare next after my Decease by mine Executor Item I will & aupoynt that my two servants Edward Ginkins and Edward Tarte shall serve up the remaynder of their tyme of service wch by covenant is Due unto me wth my sonne Joseph Itm my mynd and will is that my sonn Joseph shall prvide for his two brothers Thomas and Steeven for either of them half so much stock as his owne, and for his yeongest sister Lidea one quarter asmuch as his owne, and that this their stock shalbe kept upon the lands given unto them as is before specyfyed untill such tyme as the said lands shalbe sould or hyred out. Item I will and appoynt my welbeloved sonn Joseph to be sole and whole Executor unto this my last will and testament In witnes whereof I thabove named Nathaniell Tilden have hereunto set my hand and seale Dated the Day and yeare first above written.

Nathaniell Tilden

Sealed and Delivred as the last Will & testament of me Nathaniell Tilden in the prsence of Symon Sutton his mark Thomas Hatch.

My mynd and will is that my welbeloved sonne Joseph Tilden shall have full power and authorytie to sell my house wth all the buildings thereunto belonging and also all my lands scituate and being in Scittuate & Tenterden all wch lands I give him power to sell or to dispose of at his pleasure, whom I make my whole and sole Executor of this my last will and testament In witnes whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seale Dated the five and twentieth Day of May 1641

Nathaniell Tilden

Sealed and Delivred as the last will & testament of me Nathaniell Tilden In the prsence of Symon Sutton his marke Thomas Hatch."^[4]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Nathaniel Tilden, in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
   7:42-46.

   "ORIGIN: Tenterden, Kent.
   MIGRATION: 1635 on the Hercules of Sandwich (on 4 March 1634/5, 'Nathaniel Tilden of Tenterden in Kent, yeoman, & Lidia his wife.' children 'Joseph, Thomas, Stephen, Marie, Sara, Judeth [and] Lidia.' and servants Tho[ma]s Lapham, Geo[rge] Sutton, Edw[ar]d Ford, Edw[ar]d Jeakins, Sara Couchman, Marie Perien [and] James Bennet," were enrolled at Sandwich as passengers for New England on the Hercules [NEHGR 75:218])."

2. ↑ French, Elizabeth. Genealogical Research in England - Tilden. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Oct 1911)
   65:326.

   Register of St. Mildred's Church, Tenterden, Kent, England, 1583.
   Nathaniell Tylden sonne of Thomas Tylden bapt ye 28th of July.

3.   Tilden, of Scituate, in Davis, Walter Goodwin, Compiler, and Introduction by Gary Boyd Roberts. Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966): A Reprinting, in Alphabetical Order by Surname, of the Sixteen Multi-Ancestor Compendia (plus Thomas Haley of Winter Harbor and His Descendants). (Baltimore, Maryland, United States: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1996)
   3:413-17.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories, in Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Mayflower Descendant: An Illustrated Quarterly Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy, History and Biography
   3:220.

   Will of "Nathaniell Tilden of Scittuate of New England w'thin America gen", dated 25 May 1641, inventory taken 31 Jul 1641, proved 6 Sep 1641.

5. ↑ Nathaniel Tilden, in Find A Grave.