Thomas Tillinghast

Thomas Tillinghast (born August 21, 1742 in East Greenwich , Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations ; † August 26, 1821 there ) was an American lawyer and politician . Between 1797 and 1799 and again from 1801 to 1803 he represented the state of Rhode Island in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Thomas Tillinghast grew up in the British colonial days, during which he attended elementary school. He was politically active even before the War of Independence . Between 1772 and 1773 he was a member of the colonial House of Representatives of Rhode Island. He joined the independence movement and held several positions in the new American authorities during the war. Between 1778 and 1780 he was an MP in the Rhode Island House of Representatives . In 1779 he was a judge on an appeals court. He was also a member of his state's Council of War . Between 1780 and 1797 he was an associate judge on the Rhode Island Supreme Court .

Tillinghast was initially a member of the Federalist Party founded by Alexander Hamilton . After the resignation of Congressman Elisha Reynolds Potter , he was elected in a by-election to succeed him in the US House of Representatives. There he ended the legislative period started by his predecessor between November 13, 1797 and March 3, 1799. Then he changed parties and became a member of the Democratic Republicans around Thomas Jefferson . As their candidate, he was re-elected as a member of Congress in 1800 . There he replaced John Brown on March 4, 1801 , who in turn had taken over the seat from Tillinghast two years earlier. Thomas Tillinghast only remained in Congress for one term until March 3, 1803. Then Nehemiah R. Knight succeeded him.

Not much is known about the time after he left Congress. He died in his native East Greenwich in August 1821. Thomas Tillinghast was a cousin of Joseph L. Tillinghast , who also sat in Congress for Rhode Island between 1837 and 1843.

Web links

• Thomas Tillinghast in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Thomas Tillinghast in the database of Find a Grave (English)