Tylden family
The Tylden, or Tilden, family is an English landholding lineage with medieval Kentish roots and an important branch established in colonial New England during the seventeenth century.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Tylden family, also spelled Tilden in some branches and sources, is a historical English family associated with medieval origins, landed estates in Kent, and a later American lineage descended from immigrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is not a commercial brand or operating company; the term identifies a network of related family branches whose history is documented through landholding, public service, military careers, religious leadership, migration, and notable descendants. The family’s traditional history places early members in England during the Middle Ages. Records cited in family and regional histories associate a Sir Richard Tylden with service as seneschal or steward to Hugh de Lacy, Constable of Chester, during the reign of Henry II. Another Sir Richard Tylden is described as having accompanied Richard I during the Third Crusade in 1190. The genealogy then proceeds through successive generations, including figures identified as Sir Richard of Sittenbourne, Sir Henry Tylden, and Sir William Tylden. A later Sir William Tylden is associated with service under Edward, the Black Prince, and participation in the English victory at Poitiers in 1356. The family became particularly connected with Kent. Branches held or occupied manors and estates in Brenchley, Kennington, Otterden, Milstead, Tilmanstone, and Wormshill. Over time, the lineage divided into several principal branches. One remained connected with Kentish lands, another moved into Sussex and supplied an emigrant to America, and another became associated with Ifield. Members of the English line continued to live at Milsted Manor in Milstead into the twentieth century. Later descendants included William Burton Tylden, a Royal Engineers officer, and James Tylden, who served in the British Army during the First World War and subsequently played cricket for Kent County Cricket Club. The American Tilden branches are conventionally traced to John Tilden, a clothier from Benenden who was born around 1400. His descendant Nathaniel Tilden emigrated to New England in 1634 aboard the Hercules with his wife Lydia, their children, and several servants. Nathaniel had previously served as mayor of Tenterden in 1622 and became an early community and religious leader in Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was selected as ruling elder of the first church within a year of his arrival. His name also appears in an early recorded Scituate land conveyance. The family’s colonial connections extended beyond Nathaniel’s immediate household. His brother Joseph was among the London merchant adventurers involved in outfitting the Mayflower. Through marriages among later generations, the family also became connected with other early New England settlers, including the Warren and Preble families. Commodore Edward Preble, the United States naval officer associated with the 1804 bombardment of Tripoli, is identified as a great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Tilden through Nathaniel’s daughter Judith. Among the best-known descendants are Samuel J. Tilden, governor of New York and the Democratic presidential nominee in the disputed 1876 United States election; Bill Tilden, a major international tennis player; and a range of military officers, architects, clergy, public figures, broadcasters, and artists. The name therefore appears in several historical and professional contexts, but the family itself has no documented product portfolio, corporate ownership structure, headquarters, or commercial market position.
History
The Tylden family is a historical English lineage whose name is also rendered Tilden in American and some other branches. Its early history is connected in traditional genealogical accounts with medieval England. A Sir Richard Tylden is recorded as having served Hugh de Lacy, Constable of Chester, during the reign of Henry II. Another Sir Richard Tylden is associated with Richard I’s expedition to the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. The subsequent genealogy includes Sir Richard of Sittenbourne, Sir Henry Tylden, and successive members of the Tylden family who married into other established English families. By the later Middle Ages, the family was strongly associated with Kent. Its members possessed or occupied manors in several Kentish parishes, including Brenchley, Kennington, Otterden, Milstead, Tilmanstone, and Wormshill. The lineage developed into multiple branches: one remained connected with Kent, another moved to Sussex and included an emigrant to America, and another became associated with Ifield. The Kentish connection persisted for centuries, with descendants residing at Milsted Manor in Milstead into the twentieth century. The English family produced members active in military and public life. William Burton Tylden, who lived from 1790 to 1854, served as an officer in the Royal Engineers. James Tylden served in the British Army during the First World War and later played cricket for Kent County Cricket Club. These examples illustrate the family’s continued presence in military, landed, and sporting institutions rather than in a unified commercial enterprise. The American branch is traced to Nathaniel Tilden, a descendant of John Tilden of Benenden. Nathaniel emigrated from Kent to Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the Hercules with his household. He had earlier served as mayor of Tenterden and became a ruling elder of the first church in Scituate, Massachusetts. His name appears in an early Scituate land record, reflecting his place among the first settlers and property holders of the community. Nathaniel’s family became connected with other early colonial families through migration, public service, and marriage. His brother Joseph was a London merchant adventurer involved in financing and equipping the Mayflower. Nathaniel’s youngest son, Stephen, married Hannah Little of Plymouth; through her family, the Tildens were connected to descendants of Richard Warren, a Mayflower passenger. Judith Tilden’s marriage to Abraham Preble established the line from which Commodore Edward Preble descended. Later generations used the Tilden spelling prominently in the United States. Notable descendants and associated family members include Samuel J. Tilden, who served as governor of New York and was the Democratic candidate for president in 1876; Bill Tilden, a prominent tennis player; George Thomas Tilden and Guy Tilden, architects; Luther F. Tilden, associated with the development of Orange County, Florida; Charles William Tilden, a colonel in the 16th Maine; and William Tilden, a Boston Unitarian clergyman. More recent individuals listed in family histories include broadcaster Neil Lamont Tilden, filmmaker Tracy Tilden Droz Tragos, and consultant and author Charles “Rip” Tilden. The family’s historical significance rests on its genealogy and the public careers of its members, not on a common business or branded offering.
- 1876
Samuel J. Tilden nominated for United States president
[1]Samuel J. Tilden, a family descendant, became the Democratic nominee in the contested 1876 United States presidential election.
- 1634
American branch established in Massachusetts
[1]Nathaniel Tilden traveled from Kent to Massachusetts Bay Colony aboard the Hercules with his family and servants, beginning the prominent American Tilden line.
- 1622
Nathaniel Tilden serves as mayor of Tenterden
[1]Nathaniel Tilden, later an emigrant to New England, is identified as having served as mayor of Tenterden in Kent.
Medieval English origins
[1]Traditional accounts place the family’s early roots in medieval England and associate an early Sir Richard Tylden with service to Hugh de Lacy.
Tylden associated with the Battle of Poitiers
[1]A Sir William Tylden is described as having served under the Black Prince and taken part in the Battle of Poitiers.
Nathaniel Tilden becomes a Scituate church leader
[1]Within a year of arrival, Nathaniel Tilden was selected as ruling elder of the first church in Scituate, Massachusetts.
Sources1 sources
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