Benjamin Chew Tilghman (October 26, 1821 — July 3, 1901) was an American soldier and inventor. He is best known as the inventor of the process of sandblasting.
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Early life
He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1821, the third child of Benjamin and Anne Marie (McMurtie). His father was descended from Richard Tilghman, a surgeon in the British Navy; he was related to William Tilghman, Chief Justice of Philadelphia.
Tilghman was educated at Bristol College and later at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a degree in law in 1839, though he never practiced this profession. With his brother, Richard, he spent much time before the war journeying through Europe, visiting laboratories, chemical works and mills. He was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society in 1871.