Tiffin, Edward, Md

Tiffin, Edward, M.D.

a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Carlisle, England, June 19, 1766. At an early age he commenced the study of medicine; removed to the United States in 1784, and settled in Charlestown, Jefferson Co., Va., where he became a practitioner. In 1790 he entered the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was ordained deacon by bishop Asbury, Nov. 19, 1792; In 1796 Dr. Tiffin took up his residence in Chillicothe, in the territory north-west of the Ohio River, where he continued the practice of medicine, and preached regularly on Sundays. In the autumn of 1799, Dr. Tiffin was elected a member of the territorial legislature; in 1802 he was chosen a delegate from Ross County to the convention which adopted the first constitution and formed a. state government for Ohio, of which convention he was elected president. In 1803 he was elected the first governor. At the session of the legislature in 1806-7, governor Tiffin was chosen United States senator, but resigned March 3,1809, on account of the death of his wife. The same year he was elected to the legislature and chosen speaker of the House. The next year (1810) he was returned to the House of Representatives and elected speaker. He was selected by president Madison a commissioner of the General Land Office; but, not enjoying the society of Washington, he exchanged offices with Josiah Meigs, surveyor-general of public lands. He took up his residence in Chillicothe, still attending to ministerial duties. He held the office of surveyor-general for nearly fifteen years, when he obtained leave to retire, July 1,1829. He died Aug. 9 of the same year. Three of his Sermons, preached in 1817, were published in the Ohio Conference Offering, (1851). See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, 7:205.