Trails to the Past

Kent County, Rhode Island Biographies

Personal Paragraphs of Warwick

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Source: The History of Washington & Kent Counties
Written by J. R. Cole published in 1889 by W. W. Preston & Co.

Captain George W. Taylor is a son of Ambrose and grandson of Ambrose Taylor, who died in 1831. George W. was born in 1828. His grandfather bought of Joseph Baker, at Nausocket, in 1800, the home where he died. He was a farmer and a chairmaker. His son, Ambrose, also a farmer, was for several years at sea. Captain George went to sea at an early age, and followed the sea for many years. He was a sea captain from 1857 to 1886 in coastwise service. His deceased wife was Lydia S., a daughter of Stephen Williams, of Cranston, R. I.

William Tefft was born at Pine Hill, in Exeter, in 1823. He is the youngest of the ten children of Thomas Tefft, whose father, Thomas Tefft, was town clerk of Richmond, R. I. His mother was Lucy, daughter of George Tefft. His wife was Miss Fannie Cobb. They have two children, William Tefft, Jr., and Susan Tefft. Mr. Tefft has a pleasant farm of ninety-seven acres at Natick Hill, on which he has lived twenty-four years.

Benjamin W. Tibbitts is a son of Benjamin Tibbitts (and grandson of Waterman), who at his death left a family, of whom Benjamin W., Daniel and Susan A. are now living. Benjamin Tibbitts was, at various periods of his life, a manufacturer, a painter and a farmer. He was also judge of the court of common pleas. Benjamin was a member of council for a number of years, and also assessor of taxes for a long time. He had five brothers, of whom Henry and John W. were physicians.

William C. Tibbitts is a son of William Tibbitts, a contractor and builder, of the firm of Tibbitts & Budlong. He began business at Arctic Centre in 1866, after having been clerk for the Spragues some nine years. In 1880 he built his present store at Arctic Centre, where his dry goods and grocery business is now carried on. He belongs to the Masonic lodge and chapter and to the Odd Fellows' lodge and encampment. His wife is from Sterling, Conn. Their two daughters, living, are Cora E. and Bertha A.

Henry W. Tiffany is a son of Major Jonathan Tiffany and grandson of Thomas Tiffany. He was engaged in a little cotton mill which his father owned, three-fourths of a mile south of Crompton, which mill was operated somewhat by the sons after Jonathan Tiffany's death. The sons were also engaged as merchants at Crompton for about fifteen years prior to 1856. Jonathan Tiffany came to Crompton in 1807 for the Providence Manufacturing Company, of which he was a member, and purchased of Captain William Rice the mill privilege and site now occupied by the Crompton Manufacturing Company.

William Tiffany was born in Crompton, R. I., in 1828. His father, John Tiffany, was a son of James and grandson of Thomas Tiffany. Thomas' father, Benjamin, lived three-fourths of a mile south of Crompton. He was killed by a falling tree, and was buried in the Scranton plot in East Greenwich. William Tiffany is a carpenter by trade. He lived at Crompton until 1857. In 1849 he went to California. His father, John Tiffany, owned the farm on Warwick Neck east of the main road and south of the railroad. Mrs. William Tiffany was Susan M. Remington. Their daughter, Fannie E., is Mrs. John A. Hazard. Their son is John Tiffany.

Samuel C. Tillinghast, born in 1840, is a son of Pardon Tillinghast, who died in 1875, and whose father was Colonel Allen Tillinghast of Exeter, born 1773, died 1848. The colonel's father, Charles, was born in 1729, was taken prisoner by the British and died on Block Island during the revolution. His father, John, was born in 1691 and was buried at Frenchtown, East Greenwich, in 1777. His father. Pardon (1677-1743), was a son of Pardon, born in England in 1622, died in Providence in January, 1718. In 1870 Mr. S. C. Tillinghast bought the carriage and blacksmith shop of Shaw & Wightman. Eight years later he bought the paint business and the real estate of Joseph Shaw.

Joseph O. Tillinghast, brother of Samuel C, was born in 1846. In 1865 he began working here as a blacksmith. In 1870 he bought the business of Percival Bennett, successor to Benjamin Williams. In 1878 he bought the old blacksmith stand of the heirs of Benjamin Williams, who was the blacksmith here from 1839 to his death about 1860. Since 1873 Mr. Tillinghast has practiced as veterinary surgeon. His first marriage was with Abbie S., daughter of Deacon Henry A. Bailey. She died, leaving one son, Allen P. His present wife, Anna J., is a daughter of George Capwell of Old Warwick.

George W. Tourjee was born in Natick in 1838. His father, Samuel W., was a son of Jeremiah Tourjee, of North Kingstown, where other representatives of this old French family still reside. In 1863, after ten years at mill work, Mr. Tourjee established a livery business at Natick. The real estate which he now occupies he bought in 1873. From 1872 to 1882 he was local agent for Adams Express Company.

Albert Tyler was born in 1845. His father, James Tyler, was a son of John and grandson of James Tyler, whose father, John Tyler, bought the Tyler tract, which is now a portion of the town of Foster, R. I. Albert Tyler came to Warwick in 1874, and after being station agent at Centreville for eight years he began, in 1884, a mercantile business at North Centreville, where his residence and business are now located.

George H. Tyler is one of the twelve children of William Tyler, ten of whom reached adult years. He was fourteen years in business in New York city , the later and larger portion of the time as dealer in malt, hops and brewers' supplies. He now is a manufacturer at Washington, in the town of Coventry, Kent county, R. I. His wife is a daughter of Pardon S. Peckham, a well-known manufacturer. After having come to this vicinity to regain his health he located here permanently, and in 1886 completed his present residence in Warwick, in the suburbs of the village of East Greenwich.

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