This letter was written by G. H. Tilton who lived in Laconia, New Hampshire to Sara Tilton from Darlington, S.C. The letter is dated 14 December 1915. The letter was attached to a mini ancestor listing that was in my grandmother, Lillian's personal papers. Some simple editing was done, for ease of reading.
Mr Tilton writes:
"I wrote you some days ago that I would shortly send you the papers you wished for. I enclosed the different generations from the settlement in this country and will explain their history as well as possible.
The first generation you will notice was William Tilton and his wife, Susanna, who came from England about the year 1640. Susanna, was undoubtedly his second wife. Our records show that one of his sons, Peter, came to this country about 1639 and he came the next year to bring with him his son, John. He settled in Lynn, Mass; was a strong man in the colony, giving much attention to legal matters, but died in 1653, survived by his wife, Susanna, he had three sons, Samuel, Abraham, and Daniel.
Samuel was the original settler of Martha's Vinyard Island, Mass. Abraham settled in Ipswich, Mass, while Daniel settled in Hampton, N. H., This you will notice is the second generation.
Daniel was born in Lynn in 1646 and married Mehitabel Sanborn December 23, 1669. From Daniel you would get your authority to join the Society of Colonial Dames for he was a prominent man, was an officer in the Colonial Army during King Philip's War and in defense of his home and family he received the title of Ensign in the Colonial Army, was Hampton's Representative in the New Hampshire Assenbly from 1690 to 1713, was speaker of the Assembly in 1702. He was undoubtedly one of the ablest men in New Hampshire's early history.
His oldest son, the third generation was Samuel Tilton, who was born February 14, 1675 in Hampton and who married Meribah "Page" Shaw, January 7, 1703. He died in 1709 and she in 1725.
Their son Josiah, of the fourth generation was born April 10, 1709. His wife was Sarah Flanders, born November 6, 1710. I have not the date of her death, but he died October 15, 1796.
His son was the famous Col Philip Tilton of the fifth generation, who was born April 21, 1741, and died January 26, 1835. His wife was Molly Bachelder, who was born July 14, 1740 and died August 27, 1807. It is from this Molly that you inherit your marvelous resemblance to the New Hampshire Bachelder family which I noticed the first time I ever saw you and which Mrs Tilton was so much surprised about when she saw you first.
Their oldest son was Nathaniel Tilton of the sixth generation, born in East Kingston, July 24, 1767 and died February 1841. His wife was Nancy Smith, born January 27, 1767, and died March 1846. He was dr. Nathaniel Tilton, a graduate of Harvard and who in early life moved over into the state of Maine, a very able man.
His oldest son was Nathaniel Henry Tilton who according to your record was born in the year 1800, but we have not the date of his death. His wife Rebecca Wood, who died about 1850 is the one whose record you are more familiar with than I am. Your grandfather told me when I met him in Savannah one time that his father, Nathaniel Henry died I think in Egypt while there as an officer of the United States Government in some capacity. I presume we could find out from the records in Washington just what it was.
The eighth generation Sara Mills Tilton, which you would have to fill out yourself, so you see you are of the tenth generation in this country.
Now concerning Col Philip Tilton, he was a Captain in John Starks Regiment at the outbreak of the Revolution, afterwards served during the Rhode Island compaign as adjutant has a very good Revolutionary War record, but his title of Colonel was given him by the State of New Hampshire, when he commanded one of the New Hampshire regiments. From him you get your authority to join the Society of the Daughters of Revolution , and from Daniel Tilton of Hampton, second generation, you are entitled to membership in the Colonial Dames.
Of the first generation, William Tilton, we never have located for a certainity in what part of England he resided before he moved to this country. There are many traditions concerning his early life in England, but we have very little for fact.
He was a highly educated man as were his older sons John and Peter. His eldest son John, after marrying in Lynn, moved to what was know as Graves End and, Long Island, now Brooklyn, about somwhere around 1650 and the records which he kept of the early settlement of Graves End are said to be extremely fine as far as hand writing and scholarship is concerned. We are not sure about the date of his wifes death. After his death in 1653, she married Roger Shaw at Cambridge, Mass and who was in some ways connected with the home governments and they moved to Hampton, and settled there. After her death, Daniel, the youngest son was cared for by his oldest brother Samuel until he became of age. His history is a very interesting one.
You will notice that in the list I gave you that Nathaniel Henry Tilton of the Seventh generation was the one who left New England for the South. In one of my records, I find that he was said to have moved to the west, but this undoubtedly was incorrect. He was as able a man as his father, Nathaniel, he must have made himself a prominent man in South Carolina, as was his son, your grandfather Nathaniel Octavius Tilton.
I think from this record that you will be able to establish your claims to the different societies and you could fill out the papers yourself. If you should need any court records, I can get from the Secretary of the State of New Hampshire, official copies showing our statements to be correct.
The Coat of Arms of the Tilton's which you have written about, I have never used. It was the Coat of Arms of the old English family which was used at the time of the Crusades, but, as long as I am not able to make direct connection with the Digby family, I have never used it. although many of the Tilton families do it in this country. I think, though, without proper authority. Should you want the Coat of Arms, I will see if I can get it made for you in colors. I should have to have it done by one who is familiar with that kind of work."
Hoping these papers will reach you and prove satisfactory,
Very truly yours
G. H. Tilton
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