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 Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,198, making it the least populous county in Maryland. Its county seat is Chestertown. The county was named for the county of Kent in En ...

, 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, 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, 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 Tench Coxe (May 22, 1755July 17, 1824) was an American political economist and a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1788–1789. He wrote under the pseudonym "A Pennsylvanian," and was known to his political enemies as ...

, 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 Edward Shippen (1639, Methley, West Yorkshire, England – October 2, 1712, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the second mayor of Philadelphia, although under William Penn's charter of 1701, he was considered the first. Early life Edward was bor ...

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. Tench Francis (1730–1800) was an American merchant, lawyer and agent for the family of William Penn and the first cashier of the Bank of North America. He was born the son of Elizabeth Turbitt and Tench Francis Sr., a prominent Philadelphia l ...

, 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

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 Robert Feke ( 1705 or 1707 1752) was an American portrait painter born in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. According to art historian Richard Saunders, "Feke’s impact on the development of Colonial painting was substantial, and his pictures ...

{{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