There is evidence that some members of the
Oxford Congregational church were considered to be Tories. What kind of
Toryism would apply then? The most prominent case would be that of
Captain Zechariah Hawkins. Clearly, he was a man
of conservative political beliefs.
Hawkins had the respect of the people of Oxford, and later
generations, where in a centennial address he was mentioned as a
"substantial man of sound judgment and a valuable citizen."35
His name is listed as a member of the Congregational church, and was a
member of Derby's Committee of Inspection in 1775.36
Despite these "patriotic" markers, Hawkins was considered a Tory,
as "he was one of those, who though feeling that England was wrong in
it's treatment of the colonies could not go along with the idea of
armed resistance to the mother country."37
He kept an inn in the Quaker's farm section of Oxford,38
and also had a 200-acre farm in Castleton, Vermont. Sometime in 1780,
he desired to visit the farm. Concerned for his safety, he requested
and got a document that assured his safe passage. Issued by the
selectmen of Castleton, it says in part that Hawkins "is Come to this
Town to Take Care of a farm he has here and some people say he is
Toryfied which makes him afraid to Execute his Business."39
The selectmen further note that they harbored no suspicion of him, and
the document bears the favorable endorsement of Vermont Governor Thomas
Chittenden.
Another member of the Oxford Congregational Church was
Captain Isaac Tomlinson. Like Zechariah Hawkins,
he too was apparently a good patriot,
but "clung to the
idea that the dispute could be settled peaceably."40
He enlisted in a Connecticut regiment in May of 1775 (at the age of
52!), served with his unit during the siege of Boston, and received his
discharge in December of 1775.41
In an odd turn of events, he was haled before a state committee
in early 1777 as being a "person dangerous to the community" who after
being examined, admitted that "he never so well understood the state of
the dispute," and was "permitted to return to his family
35
Litchfield,
Oxford 59.
36 Litchfield,
Oxford
56. Orcutt, 175
37 Litchfield,
Oxford
58.
38 It was located
n the west side of Quaker Farms Road at Seven Mile Brook. Litchfield,
Oxford
53.
39 Litchfield,
Oxford
58.
40 Litchfield,
Oxford
56.
41 Litchfield,
Oxford
55.
