Held numerous civic offices, serving in the Rhode Island Legislature (1772–1780), as a Justice of the State Supreme Court (1780–1794), and as a U.S. Representative (1797–1799; 1801–1803).
| When Burke met | 1811 |
| Where Burke met | Wickford, RI |
| Occupation | Civil Office |
| Interaction with Burke | Paid Burke’s passage to Newport |
| Identity Status | Confirmed |
| Genealogy | WikiTree |
| Memoir Pages | 75 |
Notes
Thomas Tillinghast (August 21, 1742 – August 26, 1821) of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was a military officer, judge, and legislator. The son of Philip and Alice Tillinghast, he married Mary Hill in 1762, though inconsistencies in birth records suggest some children attributed to them may belong to a different couple. During the American Revolution, he served as a recruiting officer, a member of the Council of War, and a Colonel in the Kent County Militia. Tillinghast held numerous civic offices, serving in the Rhode Island Legislature (1772–1780), as a Justice of the State Supreme Court (1780–1794), and as a U.S. Representative (1797–1799; 1801–1803). A prominent landowner, he purchased a 100-acre East Greenwich farm in 1773 and acquired extensive tracts in Virginia. Historical records conflict regarding whether he or his son, Thomas Jr., co-founded East Greenwich’s first water-powered cotton mill in 1812.
Sources
Burke, William. Memoir of William Burke: A Soldier of the Revolution, Reformed from Intemperance, and for Many Years a Consistent and Devoted Christian; Carefully Prepared from a Journal Kept by Himself; to Which Is Added, an Extract from a Sermon Preached at His Funeral, by Rev. Nathaniel Miner. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany, 1837.