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)

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 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.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories, in Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Mayflower Descendant, 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.

3. ↑ Nathaniel Tilden, in Find A Grave.
4.   http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8650673