Tilghman family papers

The collection consists of the papers of the Richard Tilghman family, spanning five generations and including three major wars. The papers, mostly correspondence, are divided into subgroups of land papers, papers of the four principal family members, and finally miscellaneous papers.

1. Wills and Land Papers (1493; 1658-1821)

This section consists of the documents concerning the Tilghman estate Gross' Coate in Talbot County, Maryland. Among them are deeds and surveys showing the additions to and the ownership of the estate throughout the generations. There are also surveys, deeds, wills, and indentures for such parcels of land as Gross' Coate, the Adventure, Gross' Addition, Sawyer's Forest, Court Road, and Dundee. Also included is a typed copy of the will of William Tilghman of London, dated 1493. (See also oversize.)

2. Captain William Gibson Tilghman Papers, 1831-1850

His papers deal mainly with the division of his estate upon his death. They include correspondence between family and lawyers concerning the division, property lists for both Gross' Coate and the Dundee farm, and a list of all enslaved individuals that includes their age and the monetary value placed on them. Also included are the receipts and agreements of the final division showing the extent of each family member's acquisition. A letter from his son, Richard, describes Navy life in Norfolk, Virginia.

3. Lieutenant Richard Lloyd Tilghman Papers, 1830-1904

The bulk of the collection falls into this section and consists of correspondence. The decade of correspondence between the Lieutenant and his wife, Agnes, gives a rich view of life for a young married women. Agnes writes of everyday life; her health; her children, including their illnesses; town life; the farm; his family and the death of his brother, Charles; and the hardships of being alone. Richard, in return, discusses his life on ship and his different duty-stations during the Mexican War. He talks of news from home and his views on the management of Gross' Coate. Mixed in these letters are correspondence from other naval officers commending Richard on his service. Also included are his will and Agnes' widow pension records.

4. Doctor Charles Henry Tilghman Papers, 1868-1887

This entire section includes correspondence from Charles to his mother, Agnes, while he is in Europe. The letters begin in London where he has gone to study medicine and give a lively account of a variety of interests in nineteenth century London and America such as English society and fashions, English servants versus American, farming techniques, hospitals, the condition of the United States after the war, Yankee prejudice, and the expenses of living in London. A year later Charles moves to Paris where he continues to write home. Here he writes about the language, the differences of society, medical techniques, and his growing uncertainty about his profession. Probably because of this, he begins to travel writing of Germany, Baden-Baden, and his desire to go to Switzerland. Charles then joins the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871, describing in his letters the horrors of the war from the French side.

5. Captain Charles Henry Tilghman, Jr. Papers, 1917-1919

The correspondence in this section deals with World War I and training of men before they were assigned to duty on the front line. Stationed in Fort Niagara, Charles describes life in an army camp: the daily routines, recreation, and the study of such techniques as handling hand grenades and learning trench warfare. His letters from Fort Meade give an adequate account of the building of this camp into an army training base. Later correspondence comes directly from the front line in Europe and from Base Hospital #18, in France, after he was wounded. At the end of the war, Charles writes of the hardships of bringing his regiment back across Europe and later, of his duties as liaison officer in Germany and Poland.

6. Miscellaneous Papers, 1753-1916 and undated

The remainder of the collection consists of miscellaneous items dated throughout the time span. Richard Tilghman's ledger (1790-1806) lists interesting and everyday expenses including documentation of family portraits by Charles Willson Peale. This section also includes the Tilghman family genealogy dating back to the Richard Tilghman of Henry IV's reign (see also oversize). More recent genealogical notes describe the ascendancy of Halloway Court, the Tilghman's estate in Kent, England. It also details the branch that moves to America as the descendants of this family. Another noteworthy item is the draft to James Donnell Tilghman's "Maryland: A Guide to the Old Line State." These notes include descriptions of places and events in Maryland history. They discuss colonial and Maryland architecture, a history of the National Pike and other interesting tidbits of Maryland history. James gives a description of places of interest on two Maryland tours.