Thomas Tilden

  General Notes:

The Will of Thomas Tylden of the parish of Wye in the County of Kent, 14 March 1616-17. To the poor of Wye 20s. £5 to be distributed among poor ministers. I make my son Joseph Tilden my executor and give him all that debt due me from James Thetcher of Willingdon in the County of Sussex. My wife Alyce shall have the use of all my household stuff and moveable goods during her life, with liberty to dispose of tem to all or any of my children during her life and at her death to dispose of them that remain to such of my children as shall be living and not elsewhere. To son Thomas Tylden £5.

My will concerning the disposition of all my lands, tenements, and hereditaments in the Counties of Sussex and Kent or elsewhere within the Realm of England is as follows: "First my will & meaninge is that Nathaniell my sonne his heyres & Assignes shall for ever holde and enioye on peece of fresh mershe land lyinge in the parish of East Guyldeford in the Countye of Sussex called by the name of Cowelees contayneinge by estymation xxx acres accordinge to one deede of feafment thereof by me made to the vse of the said Nathaniell   Itm I doe will giue and bequeath to the said Nathaniell my sonne & to his heyres forever one piece of fresh mersh land with the appurtenances called or knowne by the name of the Fyve acres lyinge & beinge in the aforesaid Parish of East Guyldeford together with a sufficient carrying way to carrye driue goe to & for him his heyres & Assignes through one peece of land called the vpper peece of the lesser Spanyards lyinge in Guyldfford aforesaid." To my two sons Joseph and Hopestill Tilden their heirs and assigns forever the aforesaid piece of land called the upper piece of the lesser Spanyards containing twenty acres. To son Freegift Tylden and his heirs forever, if he live to the age of one and twenty years, a piece of fresh mersh land in East Guyldford containing fifteen acres known by the name of the nether piece of the lesser Spanyards and abutting upon Cowe lees aforesaid toward the south, with right of way to said land through the land called the upper piece of the lesser Spanyards bequeathed to son Nathaniel. If Freegift die before the age of one and twenty years, reversion to sons Nathaniel and Hopestill and their heirs forever. During the minority of Freegift £10 a year to be paid to wife Alice toward her jointure of £20 made by me to her during her life, the other £10 of the said £20 to be paid out of the lands bequeathed to sons Joseph and Hopestill. To son Freegift at the age of one and twenty years my messuage with the barn and other buildings, orchard, garden, and seven pieces of land containing seventeen acres now in the occupation of the widow Gylbert, lying in the parish of Cranbrook upon the den of Omenden. If he die before said age, reversion to my son Joseph and his heirs. Wife Alyce to receive the profits of all Freegift's land during his minority and use them to see him brought up to learning, and if she die, son Joseph to receive them for that purpose, allowing to Freegift sufficient maintenance and yielding an account to him when he accomplishes his age of one and twenty years. [Signed]. Thomas Tilden. Witnesses: Suretonhie Nicholes, Robart Hall, and Willyam Avsten. Proved 20 June 1617 by Joseph Tilden, son and executor named in the will. [The will was contested 23 September 1617, the widow Alice Tilden and sons Nathaniel Tilden of Tenterden, Hopestill Tilden of the town of Sandwich, and Thomas Tilden and Freegift Tilden of Wye bringing suit against the executor Joseph Tilden.* 27 March 1618 sentance was given for the confirmation of the will, the judgment being that the testator was sane at the time the will was made.] (Consistory Court of Canterbury, original will, bundle for 1617.)
* Doubtless because the testator left to son Thomas but £5, while the other sons received generous portions of land. [Elizabeth French, "Genealogical Research in England," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 65, pp. 324-5]

Thomas Tilden of Tenterden, the testator of 1616-7, born probably at Benenden after 1541, was buried at Wye 6 June 1617. He married first at Tenterden, 10 Mar. 1576-7, Alice Biggs, who was buried at Tenterden 13 May 1593; married secondly, 13 Nov. 1593, Ellen Evernden, widow, of Rolvinden. The date of her death is unknown, but Thomas Tilden left a widow Alice, probably mother of his son Freegift. Between 1604 and 1614 Thomas Tilden left Tenterden, and moved perhaps to East Guilford in Sussex, not far across the border from Tenterden, as he owned lands there. What reason he had for moving to Wye does not appear. [Elizabeth French, "Genealogical Research in England," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 65, p. 330]

Thomas married Alice Bigge, daughter of Robert Bigge and Elizabeth [Unknown], on 10 Mar 1575-1576 in St. Mildred's Church, Tenterden, Kent, England ^34,607.^,1143 (Alice Bigge was born about 1546 in Benenden, Kent, England,^34,607 died on 13 May 1593 in Tenterden, Kent, England ^34,607 and was buried on 13 May 1593 in Tenterden, Kent, England ^34,1143.)

Thomas next married Elinor Hubbard on 13 Nov 1593 in Tenterden, Kent, England.⁶⁰⁷ (Elinor Hubbard was born about 1549 in Roverton, Kent, England ⁶⁰⁷ and died on 22 Jul 1601 in Ashford, Kent, England ⁶⁰⁷.)

Thomas next married Alyce [Unknown] after 1602.⁶⁰⁷ (Alyce [Unknown] died after 1617 ⁶⁰⁷.)