James Tilley

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• Apprenticed about 1756 to Elias Pelletreau in Southampton NY

• He worked from 1765 to 1784 as a silversmith in Hartford CT with a shop on King Street and later on Front Street. ⁶

• About 1765, he made a cream jug, inscribed WTS, for William and Sarah (Mygatt) Tiley. It is now owned by one of their descendants, Joseph Wadsworth. This silversmith was a prolific advertiser, first appearing in 1765, notifying public "he still does gold and silversmith's work at his shop on King Street, Hartford." His shop was a little east of the courthouse, according to another ad. Tiley suffered a broken collarbone when the brick schoolhouse on State Street was blown up. A story in the Boston Gazette (May 20, 1766) telling of this incident erroneously refers to him as "James Tyler, Goldsmith." A charter member of St. John's Lodge of Free Masons, 1763. Was also a charter member of the Governor's Guard in 1771, and served as a captain in Revolutionary War. In financial difficulties in 1785, he later opened a house of entertainment on Front Street at the sign of "Free Mason's Arms." ³

• Snuff box, c 1765-1785
Private Collection ¹¹
d: 2"
Cover inset with horn. Engraved HC for Harriet Chenevard

• Advertised in the Connecticut Courant (Hartford CT), 8 Jun 1767, with Ebenezer Austin, a sale of silver spoons and other items at their "respective shops." ³

• Master to Paul Sayre abt 1775 in Hartford CT.

• Advertised in the Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer, 24 Apr 1780,
Runaway from the subscriber, on the evening of the 23^rd instant, an apprentice boy, named Paul Sayre, a native of Long Island, by trade a goldsmith, about nineteen years of age, about five feet, seven or eight inches high, a thick set fellow, flat nose, light eyes, thick lips, somewhat pitted with small pox, has short, straight dark hair. Had on and carried with him a broadcloth blue coat, jacket and breeches, a light-brown short coat, with open sleeves, a jacket about the same colour, a blue great coat, a pair of brown broadcloth breeches, a large castor hat almost new, two pair of shoes, a pair of open work silver shoe buckles and sundry other articles of clothing.tt Whoever will take up said apprentice, and return him to his master, or confine him so that he shall get him again, shall have One Hundred Dollars Continental Money Reward and all necessary charges paid by James Tiley.
N.B. Note well: It is supposed that he will endeavor to go on to Long Island. All masters of vessels are forbid carrying him off, or harbouring or concealing him at their peril.

James married Hannah Wadsworth in 1783 in Hartford CT. (Hannah Wadsworth was born on 7 Apr 1750 in Hartford CT and died on 26 Feb 1801 in Windsor CT.)