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There are hundreds of tinplate panels made for ceilings and many that were accurate to that vintage home. Cut to fit.
I'd second the plastering idea. Put in place some small trim against the beams before plastering so you have an edge to screed from, and then fill with plaster. The trim can hold pieces of plastering mesh so you have something strong for the plaster to bond to.
If you want to go T&G, consider that T&G wasn't really used in 1780. I had both a 1760 and an 1824 home in Connecticut and did strict restorations on both. Wider boards were used, such as a 1/2 x 4 or 1/2 x 6. If you paint them all sides before installing and paint the cut ends before final assembly, they'll look good. Even if you get a gap developing with humidity changes, if behind them you painted the ceiling in the same color, it won't look bad and will definitely be more accurate to the period.
There are a number of other ideas you can pursue, but any of these will work as well. Personally I like the plaster the best. Either do a rough troweling or if the rest of the room suits it, do a honed Roman finish. Check out some of the Roman finishes and you'll see how good this can look. If you have the trim strips installed first, you get a very nice sharp edge that looks very sharp.
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