DISCUSSION OF FAMILY
I suspect William is closely related to, and possibly the son of, the William Tilden who purchased a house and garden in Maidstone in 1496.
He may be the father of our Richard Tilden
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
He first appears in a series of real estate transactions .
- 6 Mar 1536/7 - agreement between William Hartredge of Maidstone, tailor, and William Tylden, draper, for two mills called mote mill and the new mill with islands, ponds and streams
- 30 May 1538 - agreement between Tylden and William Bassok of Maidstone, fuller, and John Bassok of Otham, miller regarding the lease of a messuage and two water wills with ponds and streams. William Tilden undertakes to repair same as part of deal.
- 1553 real estate purchase Q: Wm Tylden. D: Robt Denbrygg & wife Agnes. 3 mess in Maidstone. £40.
- 1553/4 real estate sale 10. Q: Emmotta Bekett, wid. D: Wm Tylden & wife Joan. 1 mess, 1 gdn in Maidstone. £40.
- 1555 real estate purchase Q: Wm Tylden. D: Jn Nele & wife Eliz.1 mess, 2 gdns in Maidstone. 40 marks.
- 1557/8 57. real estate purchase Q: Wm Tylden. D: Thos Haggar & wife Margt. 2 mess, 1 gdn in Maidstone. £40.
CHURCHWARDEN OF ALL SAINTS MAIDSTONE
On Sept 27 1548, Tilden helped prepare Maidstone church inventory (pp 32-33) Certayne of the Church plate of Maydston Eec of "Wyllin Collet, sextyne. By the Churchwardens & then habytants of the same. The xvij daye of September A° 1548. 1 Certayne of the sayd Churche plate havyng the founders arms wt Remayneth in thands and custody of the same Wyll'm Collet.
- ffryst one crosse wt a fote beyng gylted weyeng vj li. xij once di once. (barret.)
- It'm ij great candelstycks of sylvar gylt weyeng ix li. vij once. (ye schole. goare ye crosse.)
- It'm the payre of great sensers of sylvar and gylt weyeng vj li. vij once, (one goar, ye other barrett.)
- It'm one great paxe gylt, ij li. v once di once, (barrett.)
- It'm ij cruatte of sylvar and gylt weyeng xiiij once, (barrett.)
- And also Remayneth in the Hands and custody of the sayd Wyll'xn Collet of the sayd Church plate the Crismatorye of sylver, and ij challyses. (G-oare ye Crismatorie. one Challys stollen.)
- Also one holiwater stock of sylver weyeng ij li. di li., di qrt. li. lack, di eft once, (tylden.)
- Of all which goodes, plate, jewelles, belles, and ornaments afore- said certene of them were solde to the use and purchasing off the Corporation off the towne an p'ishe off All Saincts of Maidstone aforesaid the brothered haule the fraternitie and landes of Corpus Christi and off Sainct ffaithes Church and churchyard w all and singuler theire app'tenances to the value and sum of cc li.
- The more part of the residue off the saide goods, plate, Jewells, bells [pen through] and ornaments were delivered into the handes and custodie of Will'm Collet as by the Inventorie aforesaid there of made more playnlye doth appere, and the saide Will'm Collet delivered part of the saide goodes, plate, Jewells, and ornaments unto Walter Jieronden, gent, [pen throuyh'] James barrett, "Will'm tylden, Thom"s goare, Robert balfe, and Thomas bennett [pen through\, and to other as he saith he wyll more playnlye declare for tles his dischardge before yow the Kinges Matics Commissioners.
POLITICS
- William Tilden became one of the town's jurats in 1549, and mayor in 1552.
- " ... By December 1553, the prospect of the Queen's Spanish marriage was known, and Maidstone men, including jurats, were ready to join Sir Thomas Wyatt in his rebellion against it early in 1554. In his HISTORY OF MAIDSTONE ( William S Vivish et al: Maidstone; Simpkon, Marshall & co: London, 1881, p 50) J M Russell wrote that William Tilden recruited yeomen as soldiers in Wyatt’s army. Michael Zell considers that the importance of Maidstone as a recruiting ground for Wyatt should not be underestimated, and that the religious factor in the rebellion was significant. The rebellion began with a proclamation in Maidstone town centre, and several of the jurats were heavily involved. They included John Denley, condemned in Essex, who died in jail at Uxbridge in 1555, Peter Maplesden who forfeited his estates, William Green, William Smythe and William Tilden, who all paid heavy fines." (Russell, 1881, pp.66-69) Wyatt himself afterwards insisted that he had not intended treason, saying at his trial; mine whole intent and stir was against the (p 24) coming in of strangers and Spaniards and to abolish them out of this realm, and his popularity was undiminished. Onlookers at his execution dipped their handkerchiefs in his blood, and within a few days his head had been taken down as a martyr's relic. (Russell, 1881, p.68) Wyatt's failure is considered by Michael Zell to have been caused by tactical mistakes rather than lack of support. (Zell, EMK, 200, pp.218-9, 221) As a result of the insurrection, Maidstone's Borough Charter was forfeited, and townspeople must have become even more anti-Papist and determined to support the Protestant cause. And there was more misery to come in the next four years." - Byckley, (pp 52, 52)
- some early jurats, among them Peter Maplesden and William Tilden, had property confiscated or were heavily fined after Wyatt's rebellion in 1554 (when Maplesden's three sons were forced to sell Chillington Manor). Byckley, (p 9)
- William Tilden was ampong the men of substance arrested by Kent's sheriff, Sir Richard Southwell, and imprisoned in Allington castle for a time.
- When Queen Elizabeth granted Maidstone its second charter in 1559, four of the Edwardian jurats, William Green, Thomas Goar, Richard Hooker and William Tilden, still fit and active, were re-instated. Byckley, (p 3)
BURIAL
Buried at All Saints Maidstone on July 22, 1561 - William Tylden "ye draper," concerned in Wyatt's rebellion - Walter S Gilbert, Memorials of the collegiate and parish church of All Saints, in Maidstone
POSSIBLE FAMILY
I suspect the William Tiden above is the William Tylden that married Margaret Tuttesham and had the following children:
- William Tilden
- Richard Tilden
- Anne Tylden
- Katherine Tylden
- Thomas Tylden
- Katherine Tylden
- Henrie Tylden
If so, the Joan Tilden mentioned in his 1553/4 real estate transaction was probably a second wife.