The THOMAS COLES COLLECTION
TILLY


An Account of the Early Tilly Family of Bonavista & Elliston. 

(A tentative account due to the paucity of records relating to Newfoundland).



Sep 15, 1995



   William Tilly in Bonavista since at least 1675 had several children. Perhaps George Tilly

was one of them who frequently returned to his parent's homeland ie Christchurch, Hants. 

(now Dorset), has did many other early Newfoundland settlers - indeed a law enacted in 1675 

compelled all Newfoundlanders to return home to England or remove themselves to another 

British colony.   



   Apparently George married twice, the second marriage at Christchurch 3 Feb. 1698 to Mary 

Gost (Goss). Some of his children were baptised at Christchurch; others at nearby Sopley, 

viz: 



	John    27 Dec 1697, Sopley;  

	George  10 Oct 1700, Sopley, (died an infant?); 

	George   6 Jul 1701, Christchurch; 

	William 15 Oct 1702, Christchurch, (died an infant?); 

	William 20 Oct 1703, Sopley; 

	Mary    12 Mar 1704, Christchurch; 

	Sarah   24 Oct 1711, Sopley; 

	Thomas  20 Sep 1713, Christchurch. 



   Note the seven year gap between children Mary and Thomas suggesting that George was absent 

from Christchurch and that other children were born in Newfoundland. Note also that few of 

the baptisms occurred during mid summer or when the Newfoundland fishing season was in full 

swing.



   In 1720, the Newman fishing room on Newman's Point, Bonavista, was sold to George Tilly, 

as per a bill of sale at the Registry of Deeds, St. John's. He is also mentioned in the 

Colonial Records for 1730 (CO194.23). The Newman family at Bonavista also date back to 1675,

perhaps earlier: Their roots can also be traced to Christchurch.



   George Tilly is buried at Sopley, Hants., 12 July 1756.



   Apparently George's children also maintained close ties with their homeland in Christchurch

and the Ringwood area, where many other Newfoundlanders came from.  His son John Tilly was 

first married 16 Nov 1724 at Ellingham, Hants., to Elizabeth Leicester (Lester). John's 

second marriage was to Frances Croucher 24 Jan 1742 at Ringwood, Hants. 



   John Tilly had three children baptised at Sopley viz: 



	Mary    19 Oct 1727; 

	William 18 Mar 1730; 

	Thomas  11 Dec 1740. 



   It is noted that he too had no time for marriages or baptisms in the summer fishing season

and note the ten year gap between baptisms of sons William and Thomas, indicating an absence

from Sopley during this period. John Tilly died as a pauper at Sopley at the ripe old age of

95. 



   George Tilly, the second, also had a son George Tilly, the third, and I am reasonably certain

that he (the third George Tilly) was the same married to Sarah Croucher at Trinity, Newfoundland

in 1757. At the time of his death in 1772 at Trinity he was employed as a servant for John 

Moores. George Tilly, the fourth, was baptised at Trinity 04 Oct 1758, wherein the register 

looks like the name Tiller.





   In 1732 William Tilley was appointed stipendary constable for Bonavista North. Presumably

he was George Tilly's son and perhaps married at Ringwood on the 2 April 1741 to Mary Willton

(Wilton). No children were baptised for this couple at Ringwood indicating that they perhaps

returned to Newfundland where their son Robert was born. If so, he returned to England again,

and was buried at Ringwood 14 Nov. 1768, as was his wife.



  George's daughter Mary Tilly married Samuel Carter at Christchurch 16 Jan. 1725. Only one

child, Mary Carter, was baptised at Christchurch, and the family moved away to Trinity,

Newfoundland,  where Mary is the same married to John Croucher. Mary Carter is buried at 

Trinity c. 1781, age 91 according to the register, indicating that she was born 1695. 

I feel that this is in error, as she was born 1704 in Christchurch.





  Another daughter of George Tilly was married to James Pottle (1700-1781), the second, and

is likely the same found at  English Harbour, Newfoundland. Their daughter, Susannah Pottle,

was the same married at Trinity 23 Oct 1760 to William Warren, or married there 08 June 1766

to John Richmond.



   George's son, Thomas Tilly, was married at Ringwood 7 Feb. 1742 to Jane Burden, and was 

buried there 16 May 1761, with no children. The will of Thomas Telley of Ringwood parish, 

a cooper, for 1 Sept. 1753, gave the house he lived in to his wife, and after her decease to

godson, Robert Tilly, son of Wm. Telley. 5L each were paid to "three cusens", George Telly, 

son of George Tilly, Mary Croucher, daughter of Samuel Carter, & Susannah Pottle, daughter

of James Pottle. He gave his brother, George, all of his wearing apparel, and the rest of his

goods he gave to his wife and made her executrix. The will was proved, 8 Oct. 1761, and at 

that time, his wife's name was given as Jane, which would agree with the above marriage 

record. Thomas Tilly died as a result of small pox. The above godson and "cusens" were nieces

and nephews.



   Robert Tilley was in Bonavista c. 1762 when he was indebted to George Rider/Ryder, merchant

from Poole. He was in Trnity 1796 with his wife Sebra when his 16 year old son John Tilley 

was baptised.



   George's daughter Sarah married William Parsons of Sopley 25 Oct 1729, and lo and behold,

they follow the same trend, i.e. baptism of their children at Sopley in the Newfoundland off

seasons and three of the baptisms are from an odd piece of paper stuck on the flyleaf of the

register. Their daughter Sarah Parsons married William Waterman, who was likely the same from

Burton, Christchurch who was granted land at Old Perlican, Newfoundland, c. 1751 [The witness

to this marriage was Thomas Nash]. Another daughter Flower Parsons married John Waterman, who

was in Trinity c1757. A son William Parsons (the second) was married to Sarah Ward and 

described as a seafareingman by Elizabeth Moyle [Myle, Miles?] of Lower Kingston, Ringwood, 

Hants., c1787. Another son, Samuel Parsons married Jenny Hiscock at Sopley - no doubt a 

relationship exists here with the Hiscock family of Trinity. Another daughter, Elizabeth 

Parsons, married James Tuck at Sopley - here we note another familiar Newfoundland surname. 

A son, John Parsons, first married Elizabeth Legge, and second Jane Cook Barnes, both marriages

at Sopley, and undoubtedly related to the Legge and Barnes families of Trinity. A 

Philip Parsons, born 1737, disappeared from Sopley and Christchurch, but some sixty years 

after his birth a younger Philip Parsons married at Trinity to Rachel Clark. Joseph Curle, 

who was a grandson of William Parsons and thus a great grandson of George Tilly, died at 

Burton, Christchurch c1851and was referred to as a fisherman and seaman.




Page from the ROBERT TILLY FAMILY BIBLE

TILLY BIOGRAPHIES

ARTHUR (1849-1925)
CLARE (1898-1952)
JOHN (xxxx-xxxx)
REX (1914-1998)
ROBERT (1863?-1948)
VACANT LOT #1
VACANT LOT #2
VACANT LOT #3

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