“We” are ALL Pardon1’s progeny…but what is the true origin of the Tillinghast name?
It is most unusual that everyone of a particular bloodline in a single country is from the same progenitor. However, that is true for bloodline Tillinghasts of the United States. Virtually every bloodline Tillinghast in the United States is a progeny of Pardon1 Tillinghast, baptized January 1625 in Streat, East Sussex, England. Pardon1 was the son of PardonA, baptized January 1600, Streat, East Sussex, who died in the year 1644, and the grandson of JohnB, baptized November 1558, Newport Pond, Essex, England, and buried March 1624 in Streat, East Sussex. Pardon1 was the great-grandson of RobertC, birth and baptism about 1537, burial July 1613, Streat, East Sussex. Pardon1 migrated from England to colonial America, Providence, Rhode Island, a short time before January of 1644/45. His given name is after his father, PardonA, who was named in honor of his mother’s family name, Alice Pardon. What is more unusual is the origin of the surname Tillinghast.
Tillinghast is one of the few unique surnames found in England, and several accounts of its origin have been found. Burchall suggests its origin in England is associated with the place-name “Tillinghurst Farm” in Ardingly, East Sussex. The Tillinghurst Farm was referred to in the Pipe Roll of 1230 as Tittinghurst, and exists today as a functioning farm under the Tillinghurst name. Tittinghurst or Tillinghurst is reported to mean “the woods belonging to Titta’s or Tytila’s people,” a Saxon tribe king who is thought to have reigned over what is now East Anglia and part of the southeastern regions of England during the fifth century AD. As such, the name is more specifically defined as a habitational name from Tillinghurst in Sussex, earlier seen as Tytyngehurst: hurst, referring to ‘wooded hill of Tytta’s or Tytila’s family, plus “inga”, referring to ‘of the family, or followers of’.”
With perhaps one exception, that of finding RobertC Tillinghurst in Newport Pond, Essex, c1537 to 1613, mid-Sussex is the same and only region where the name Tillinghast (and variants) is found in local tax and juror records from 1296 through 1470. The name continues to appear more frequently in that area in a wider range of records from mid-sixteenth century to mid-seventeenth century, after which it appears more commonly in the United States but with much less frequency in England to this day. Although other origins have been reported, they are often without reference, or of generic derivation, and frequently can apply to several other surnames.
All facts in this statement have primary source references, and may be obtained from donnacasey[at]yahoo.com