Tench Francis (? probably in Philadelphia – 16 August 1758) was a prominent lawyer and jurist in colonial

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Early life

Francis was the son of Rev. John Francis, Dean of Linsmore and Rector of St. Mary's Church in

Dublin, Ireland Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...

Career

Maryland

Sometime before 1720, after studying law in London, he moved to America as an attorney for Lord Baltimore. In Kent County, Maryland, he opened a law office. From 1726 to 1734 he was clerk of Talbot County Court before being elected for a three-year term as legislative representative for Talbot County.

Pennsylvania

He later settled in Philadelphia, where he was attorney-general of Pennsylvania, succeeding Andrew Hamilton, from 1741 to 1755, and recorder of Philadelphia from 1750 to 1755. He was a founding trustee of the college, academy, and Charitable Schools of Philadelphia (which became the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

), and he sent his sons Philip and Turbutt there to study.

Personal life

In 1724 he married Elizabeth Turbutt. Together, they had: * Rachel Francis, who married John Retfe *

Turbutt Francis Colonel Turbutt Francis (1740 in Philadelphia – before 1797 in Pennsylvania), was an officer in the Pennsylvania Troops during Pontiac's War. Early life Turbutt Francis was the son of Elizabeth Turbutt and Tench Francis, Sr. Career He served ...

, who married Sarah Mifflin; later their descendants dropped the surname Francis and used the name Mifflin * Philip Francis, who married Henrietta Maria Goldsborough, who were the grandparents of

Philip Francis Thomas Philip Francis Thomas (September 12, 1810October 2, 1890) was an American lawyer, mathematician and politician. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates, was the 28th Governor of Maryland from 1848 to 1851, and was Comptroller of Maryland f ...

* Ann Francis, who married

James Tilghman James Tilghman (1716–1793) was a prominent lawyer and public servant in colonial Maryland and Pennsylvania. Biography The fourth son of Colonel Richard Tilghman and Anna Maria Lloyd, he was born at his family's estate, the Hermitage, on the Che ...

, who were the parents of

Tench Tilghman Tench Tilghman (, December 25, 1744April 18, 1786) was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He served as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. Tilghman rose ...

, who became an aide to

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

* Mary Francis, who married William Coxe, who were the parents of Tench Coxe, a delegate from Pennsylvania to the last

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

* Elizabeth Francis, who married John Lawrence * Margaret Francis, who married Chief Justice Edward Shippen IV, whose daughter married

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

* Tench Francis Jr., who became a prominent merchant and financier in Philadelphia; married Ann Willing Francis, daughter of Philadelphia mayor

Charles Willing Charles Willing (May 18, 1710 – November 30, 1754) was a Philadelphia merchant, trader and politician; twice he served as Mayor of Philadelphia, from 1748 until 1749 and again in 1754. Early life Charles Willing was born in Bristol, Engla ...

and Anne Nancy Shippen (1710–1791) nne Nancy [ShippenFrancis was the granddaughter of Philadelphia Mayor Edward Shippen">hippen.html" ;"title="nne Nancy [Shippen">nne Nancy [ShippenFrancis was the granddaughter of Philadelphia Mayor Edward Shippen and aunt to Edward Shippen IV.} Anne [Willing] Francis was also the sister Mary Willing the second wife of William Byrd III Tench Francis died in Philadelphia in 1758.His Philadelphia estate records August 19, 1758 book L:141 mention Wife: Elizabeth. Children: Rachel, Turbutt, Philip, Anne, Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret and Tench.

References

External links

Portrait at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
by Robert Feke {{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Tench Sr. 19th-century Irish lawyers Lawyers from Philadelphia People of colonial Pennsylvania People of colonial New Jersey 1758 deaths Year of birth missing University of Pennsylvania people Kingdom of Ireland emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies