in the warrant, he indicates it included Great Hill area in the passage, "As there had been a union of the Parish of Great Hill with the Episcopalians of the new Parish, it was concluded to call the new organization Union Church."

JOHN GRIFFIN OF OXFORD, A MILITARY MAN BEFORE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

    John Griffin would have figured as a prominent man in Oxford's early history, even if there had been no American Revolution, as he had several claims to history's note prior to the American Revolution.
    By tradition, John Griffin is said to have been the first white child born in the area which later became Oxford. Although some historians have discounted this tradition, none has specifically cited a record for an earlier birth of a white child in the area. His memory is preserved in the little roadside rest area on Route 67, Oxford Road, which is known as John Griffin Wayside, a state owned area which includes picnic tables and a scenic view of Little River.
    According to Judge Nathaniel J. Wilcoxson's Centennial Address, given on the Oxford Green on July 4, 1876, "The first English person born in Oxford was Lieut. John Griffin, born in 1725, died 1821, aged 96 years. Lieut. Griffin was distinguished as a soldier in the French War, was lieutenant in the army - he spent his summers in campaign service, coming home for the winter and returning to duty in the spring, for three consecutive campaigns, and at last a victor under Wolfe upon the plains of Abraham before Quebec. The facts of his soldier life were given to me by his son-in-law, Wm. Morris."
    It is strange to note that Wilcoxson did not detail Griffin's military service during the American Revolution. Probably due to Wilcoxson's omission, the record of Griffin's military history was not recorded by the historian Sharpe, and subsequently was missing in Orcutt and Beardsley's History of Old Derby and the Litchfield- Hoyt History of Oxford.
Wilcoxson made special reference to Griffin's service in the French war, and this was significant, as it made him a member of that group which had previous military training and experience at the outbreak of the American Revolution.