Joseph Tillinghast (1734-1816) was a sea captain and merchant born in East Greenwich, R.I. He was based in Providence, R.I. for his entire career, and was engaged principally in trade with St. Croix in the present U.S. Virgin Islands, shipping food and supplies to the island and bringing rum and molasses back to Rhode Island. In 1795, he began a formal partnership with his son, William Earle Tillinghast (1777-1817), and Benjamin E. Gorton (1765-1822). The records encompass the maritime career of Joseph Tillinghast, but the bulk of the collection concerns the accounts of William E. Tillinghast. Materials extend beyond the death of William E. Tillinghast to include scattered records of his descendants and related families—including the Mawneys, Davises, and Potters—into the late 19th century.
The John Carter Brown Library welcomes all researchers through its doors for fruitful use of our collections. We are open to all for research and welcome all. Researchers must register in Aeon at least 24 hours prior to their visit, make an appointment on the calendar, and bring one form of photo identification on their first day.
The collection has been arranged in the following series:
Correspondence, Accounts, Ships' papers, and Business books
Material is organized chronologically within each series. The Business books series includes account book volumes.
The collection was given to the library by William Davis Miller in 1938 [with an additional acquisition in 1953].[from note on calendar card]
A card file exists for this collection. The JCB holds Codex Eng 43, a two volume diary kept by Samuel Tillinghast containing "Remarkable Events, Winds & Weather", and noting the deaths of Richard Ward and two Newport members of the Franklin family. Warwick, RI Jan 1761-Dec 1766.