Dr. John Bell Tilden: colonial era man for all seasons

Dr. John Bell Tilden, son of Captain Richard and Anna (Meyer) Tilden, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 9. 1761 (tombstone reads 1762), baptized in the Episcopal Church, and died July 31. 1838, in Stephensburg, now Stephen City, Virginia. He was a student at Princeton College where he apparently studied medicine during the Revolutionary War and left college to join the Continental army, receiving a commission as ensign, May 28, 1779, in the Second Regiment Pennsylvania line, commanded by Colonel Walter Stewart. He was subsequently promoted to second lieutenant, his commission to date from July 25, 1780. His regiment left York, Pennsylvania, for the southern campaign in the spring of 1781 and he was present at the siege of Yorktown and surrender of General Cornwallis. At the close of the war he was honorably mustered out of service, and became a member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati. During his entire service he kept a diary, which is now in the possession of the Pennsylvania Historical Society, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

John Tilden married Jane Chambers on August 9, 1784. Jane was daughter of Joseph and Martha Chambers of York, Pennsylvania. Sometime after leaving the army in 1783, Tilden settled in Martinsburg, Berkley County, Virginia (now West Virginia). During that time, Tilden was converted to Christ in 1787 and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church there and soon was a layman and an active worker in evangelistic efforts.

He later relocated to Stephensburg, Frederick County about 1793, where he studied medicine and secured a large and lucrative practice until the close of his life. Being a man of culture and extensive influence, Tilden was ordained to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1803, elected a Justice of the Peace and some years later, High Sheriff of Frederick County. He occupied prominent positions in the state as well as the church; and by the exercise of justice and integrity in the discharge of his important duties, reflected credit and honor, both upon his ministerial and magisterial professions.

During the agitation of the question of lay representation, Tilden advocated the equal rights of the laity with the clergy in the legislative department of the church. For exercising these Scriptural and American rights, he and other prominent brethren were expelled from the M. E. Church in Stephensburg, in 1828. At his trial he was refused the privilege of reading his defense, when he arose and stated to the large assembly, that he would read it from the first door steps he should reach after leaving the church, when nearly the entire congregation followed him leaving only his accusers behind.

Tilden united with his expelled brethren and in the next year, 1829, assisted in organizing the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church. In 1872 the M. E. Church admitted its error by adopting lay representation into its polity.

The most complete account of Rev. John Tilden’s preaching ability was published in 1880. That year Sketches of the Founders of the Methodist Protestant Church and its Bibliography by Thomas H. Colhouer, included this description regarding Tilden:

“As a reformer, Tilden was like Paul and Luther, bold, earnest and outspoken, laboring with both tongue and pen to defend and advance the cause of the New Testament equality in the ministry. He promoted the indisputable rights of the laity to representation in the free Gospel Church of Christ. Tilden was a contributor and industrious circulator of the Mutual Rights Magazine, the organ of the Reform party in the Methodist Episcopal Church.”

“Rev. John B. Tilden was a fine preacher of noble and dignified bearing, chaste in style, pure in diction, graceful in manner and a profound and earnest profounder of the Word of God. In his holy life, fervent zeal and spotless character, he set an example that was worthy of all imitation.”

Early Days and Methodism in Stephens City, Virginia, by Inez Virginia Steele, first published in 1906 includes an account of a Methodist Dinner Party. The dinner party was held in Rev. Elisha Phelps house in August 1802 at Stephensburg. There Rev. James Quinn described John Tilden as, “an interesting figure, somewhat robust but not corpulent, a fine, manly face and smiling countenance.”

Tilden bought Bell Air, a large two story log home in Stephenburg in 1815 and located on Grove Street. Long before the subject of African slavery took a political shape, Dr. Tilden freed his slaves Lucy and her small child James in April 1806 and sent them to Liberia with one year's provision. He is remembered as a veteran of the Revolutionary War, doctor and Methodist minister.

Jane Chambers was born in York County, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1766 and died May 26 1827. They had ten children. Dr. Tilden and his wife, Jane are buried in the Tilden family plot at Stephens City UMC Cemetery.

Buried in the Tilden family plot are:

Anna Belle Tilden Died 1819

Jane Tilden Died 1827

Dr. John B. Tilden Died 1838

Lorenzo R. McLeod Died Unknown

Lorenzo T. McLeod Died 1888

Anna Bell Tilden McLeod Died 1890

*Note: The Stephens City UMC historic cemetery (established in 1790), is undergoing a cleaning and renovation. Large and small trees have been trimmed, overgrown vines and unsightly piles of leaves and debris were removed along the north and east fence lines.

Boy Scout Troop 15 renovated the Dr. John Bell Tilden fenced family plot. The fence was first installed in 1890 and was originally dip-painted. Scouts scraped and wire brushed the round-pike wrought iron railing and the detached gate. Then sandpapered the entire railing and gate. The Scouts completed the task; sanding, buffing, applying a prime coat and two finish coats of rust prevention enamel to prevent further decline.