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   As children, most of us studied the American Revolution in school. We learned that after quite a struggle, the colonists triumphed over the British. Many historical events became legend; some legends became myth. Children still learn that the colonists were not united in their political feelings. There were the rebels, or Patriots. Opposing them were the loyalists, or Tories.1 But the loyalists are not mentioned much; popular lore does not credit them with substantial opposition. After all, they were on the losing side.
   Fortunately, historians have always ensured that events are recorded, but oft times the huge volume of  raw data gets generalized in order to broaden our understanding by recognizing trends. As a result, some provocative statements await discovery. These pique an interest in the reverse direction, i.e., examining a general statement and digging for the corroborating details. In a report for the observance of the Connecticut Tercentenary in 1934, Epaphroditus Peck boldly states that "the line of separation (in Connecticut) between the patriots who supported the revolution and the loyalists who supported the King was more clearly marked than anywhere else and coincided generally with the line of denominational cleavage."2 He does qualify this by admitting that "there were exceptions, perhaps more frequent in the Congregational majority than in the Anglican minority."3 Could this be verified locally?
   The histories of my home town of Derby, along with that of my current home of Oxford, acknowledge a Tory presence. Both stop short of agreeing with Peck, equivocating over the number of people belonging to that faction.4 Here was an opportunity to do some reverse verification. Would investigation of the old town of Derby (of which Oxford was a part during the Revolution) verify Peck's assertion? Would research suggest a different atmosphere in this New England town? Since "records are extant that some of the Oxford people were suspected

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1 The recent trend is to acknowledge a third group of people, those who were neither Patriots or Tories. Basically "Neutrals," they were happy just to stay out of the way, and hope that they did not suffer too much damage during the conflict.
2 Epaphroditus Peck, The Loyalist of Connecticut  (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1934) 3.
3 Peck, 3.
4 Litchfield, Norman and Sabina Connolly Hoyt, History of the Town of Oxford  (Oxford Connecticut: n.p. . 1960)
5. Samuel Orcutt and Ambrose Beardsley, The History of the Old Town of Derby, Connecticut. 1642-1880 (Springfield, Massachusetts: Springfield Publishing Company, 1880)  168.