William Tilghman

William Tilghman ( born August 12, 1756 Talbot County, Maryland, † April 30, 1827 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American lawyer and politician.

Tilghman attended the College of Pennsylvania, the later University of Pennsylvania. In 1783 he was admitted to the Bar of Maryland. In his home state, he was also politically active as a member of the House of Representatives and the State Senate from 1788. In addition, he belonged in 1789 as a representative of Maryland to the Electoral College, the George Washington chose the first U.S. president.

1793 Tilghman moved to Philadelphia. He was appointed in 1801 a judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Third District Court by President John Adams, a position he held until July 1, 1802. From 1805 he was then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; he held until 1827 this post. In 1811 he ran as a Federalist for the governorship, but could not prevail against his rival Simon Snyder himself.

Tilghman was a member of the American Philosophical Society and from 1824 until his death, its president.