Matthew Tilghman | |
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| Born | February 17, 1718  |
| Died | May 4, 1790 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Matthew Tilghman (February 17, 1718 – May 4, 1790) was an Americanplanter, and Revolutionary leader fromMaryland. He served as a delegate to theContinental Congress from 1774 to 1776, where he signed the 1774Continental Association.
Tilghman was born on the family plantation,The Hermitage, nearCentreville inQueen Anne's County, Maryland. Tilghman was the grandson of one of the early settlers in Maryland. His grandfather, Richard Tilghman (1626–1675) had been a surgeon in the British navy and established the family plantation at the Hermitage. His father, also named Richard Tilghman (1672–1738), was a planter.
He was educated through private tutoring before moving toTalbot County on the Eastern Shore (ofChesapeake Bay). Tilghman married Anne Lloyd (1723–1794) on April 6, 1741. The couple took up residence on a large plantation inClaiborne, Maryland, known asRich Neck Manor.
Tilghman's first public service was as ajustice of the peace for Talbot County. In 1751 he was elected to theMaryland House of Delegates. He served there through the remainder of its service to the colony, although in 1760 and 1761 he represented Queen Anne's County. (Maryland, like several other colonies, permitted a representative to be elected by any district in which he owned property.) He was elected thespeaker of the House from 1773 to its end in 1775.
In the early days of theAmerican Revolution, Tilghman was in the forefront of the political revolution in Maryland. He was an early member of the colony'scommittee of correspondence. For three years (1774–1776) he effectively headed the revolution in Maryland. He was the chairman of theCommittee of Safety, president of the revolutionary assembly known as theAnnapolis Convention, and the head of the Maryland delegation to the Continental Congress.
While in the Congress, Tilghman debated and supported theDeclaration of Independence. He voted for its final approval but was replaced in the Congress byCharles Carroll of Carrollton before a copy was signed. Tilghman had to return home to preside over a longer session of the Annapolis Convention that established a new government for Maryland. Besides being president of the Convention, he headed the committee that drafted theCharter of Rights and Plan of Government that becameMaryland's constitution. When the state government went into effect later in 1776, Tilghman was elected to the state Senate. He served there until 1783, and from 1780 to 1783 he was president of the Senate.
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In 1771 Tilghman acquired property near his Rich Neck Manor on Sherwood's Neck. In 1783 he retired from public life and attended to his properties. Tilghman died at his homeRich Neck Manor on May 4, 1790, and was buried in a family cemetery there.
Matthew and his wife Anna Lloyd Tilghman (1723–1794) had five children: Margaret (1742–1817), Matthew Ward (1743–1753), Richard (1747–1806), Lloyd (1749–1811), and Anna Maria (1755–1843). Margaret marriedCharles Carroll, Barrister. Richard served as a major in militia of Queen Anne's County during theRevolutionary War. Anna Maria married her cousinTench Tilghman on June 9, 1783.
Tilghman's son Lloyd built his own home on Sherwood's Neck, known asSherwood Manor.[1] Sherwood Manor was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1977.[2][3] Both Rich Neck Manor and Sherwood Manor are private property.
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| Preceded by | President of the Maryland State Senate 1780 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the Maryland State Senate 1782–1783 | Succeeded by |
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