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Lt. Col. Tench TILGHMAN

Tench Tilghman was born on Fausley, a plantation owned by his father, in Talbot County, on December 25, 1744. His parents were James & Anne (Francis) Tilghman.

Tench married Anna Maria Tilghman, his first cousin and daughter of Matthew Tilghman. They had two children: Anna Margaretta, born May 24, 1784, and Elizabeth Tench, born October 11, 1786.

He died on April 18, 1786, and is buried in Oxford, Maryland. On the monument at the grave site, an inscription reads: "Tench Tilghman Lt. Col. in the Continental Army And Aid de-camp of Washington Who spoke Him thus: He was in Every Action in which the Main Army was concerned a great part of the Time. He refused to receive Pay. While living no man could be more Esteemed and since dead none more Lamented than Col. Tilghman. No one had imbibed Sentiments of greater Friendship for Him than I had done. He left as Fair a Reputation as Ever belonged to a Human Character. Died April 18, 1786 Aged 42"

On his actual grave, an inscription reads: "In memory of Col. Tench Tilghman who died April 18, 1786 in the 42nd year of his age. Very much lamented. He took an early and active part in the great contest that secured the Independence of the United States of America. He was an Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency General George Washington Commander in Chief of the American Armies and was Honoured with his Friendship, Confidence and he was one of those whose merit were Distinguished and Honourable Reward By the Congress But Still more to his Praise He was a Good Man."

Samuel A. Harrison

Samuel Alexander Harrison was born October 10, 1822, at Clay's Hope' farm in Saint Michael's district. His parents were Alexander Bradford Harrison and Eleanor (Spencer) Harrison, daughter of Colonel Perry Spencer of "Spencer Hall," whose grandfather, James Spencer, Junior, married Anne Benson, daughter of Dr. James Benson, who emigrated from England to Maryland in 1670, and who commanded a troop of horse in Talbot County in colonial times.

Doctor Harrison graduated in 1840, at the age of eighteen, having chosen the profession of medicine. He lived for some time in Saint Louis, Missouri, for health reasons. He returned to Talbot County to live at Clays Hope. About the second year of the Civil War, 1862, he moved to East Anderton, the Thomas family homestead. When he was President of the County School Board, the Superintendent of Public Schools in Talbot County, he moved to Easton, where he remained about nine years. He lived in
Woodstock with his family for about seventeen years. For a few years prior to his death he resided at Foxley Hall, Easton, the residence of his son-in-law, Oswald Tilghman, where he died on the 29th day of May, 1890, in his 68th year.

Doctor Harrison possessed a great historical mind. His voluminous writings comprise a concise and critical history of Talbot County, and necessarily, of the early history of that territory now comprising Queen Anne's County and the western half of Caroline County, which was, originally, a part of Talbot County, covering a period of two centuries. They include the civil, military, social, industrial, educational, ecclesiastical and agricultural history of this highly favored and earliest settled section of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

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