General Notes

Emigrated to Providence, 11/19/1643

Pardon was the son of Pardon and Sarah (Browne) Tillinghast.
He was born in Seven Cliffe, Beachey Head, Streat (now Eastborne), Sussex, England. He Emigrated in 1643 to Providence, Rhode Island in 1643. He officiated as pastor of the First Baptist Church for approximately 10 years and was a member of the founding group for over 60 years. In 1671 he erected, at his own expense, and presented to the church its first meeting house built of brick and mortar. He was a man of considerable means for those days but for labors to the colony and during his long pastorate he refused all compensation for his services. He authored "Water-Baptism Plainly Proved by Scripture to Be a Gospel Precept" (Boston, 1689). Many of his descendents have been among the most illustrious men of New England.
He was also a merchant and a cooper. He built the first wharf in Providence. He married Sarah Butterworth and had 3 children: Sarah, John & Mary, then married Lydia (liddea) Masters Tabor, daughter of Philip Tabor. Together they had 9 children. Their daughter Hannah is our ancestor. He is buried in a family plot. The coat of arms: a crow, arrows and spade w/motto: Be Just and Fear Not, is on the gravestone.


Note: Sent to me by Donna TILLINGHAST Casey:

"The photo on your main page for Pardon is not Pardon. It has often been seen in publications, etc., but it is has been confirmed not to be Pardon. There has been no heraldry or coat of arms confirmed for the Tillinghast family. Those that have been circulated have been developed by genealogy organizations for decades with no supportive heraldry filed in England."

Note #2: The date, January 19, that is carved in to the stone is not correct. All other historical references state that Rev. Tillinghast died on the 29th. Here is one such reference:

Providence Deaths, in Arnold, James N. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636–1850: First series, births, marriages and deaths. A family register for the people. (Narragansett Hist. Publ. Co., 1891), 276.
TILLINGHAST, Pardon (merchant), (*2-27, *4-104), [died] Jan. 29, 1717-8.