A List of Graduates of Harvard who were Tories in the American Revolution, Residing in Massachusetts; Wm. and Mary Qrtrly., Vol. 7, No. 2 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** A List of Graduates of Harvard who were Tories in the American Revolution, Residing in Massachusetts. R. S. Thomas. William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2. (Oct., 1898), pp. 76-81. A LIST OF GRADUATES OF HARVARD WHO WERE TORIES IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, RESIDING IN MASSACHUSETTS(1). By R.S. Thomas. Amory, Thomas. 1741 Studied divinity. Badger, Rev. Moses, 1762 Church of England. Bernard, Sir Thomas, Baronet 1767 Went to England. Bethune, George 1740 One of the Protesters. Bliss, Daniel 1760 Lawyer. Bliss, Jonathan 1763 Judge. Blowers, Sampson Salter, 1763 Lawyer. Borland, John Lindall 1772 Lieutenant-Colonel. Bourne, Shearjashub 1743 Lawyer. Bradford, William 1760 Officer in Bahamas. Bradosh, Eleazer 1769 Merchant. Brattle, Thomas 1760 Proscribed. Brinley, Thomas 1744 Merchant. Browne, William 1755 Army. Byles, Rev. Mather, Sr., 1725 Hollis-street Church. Byles, Rev. Mather, Jr., 1751 Church of England. Chandler, Rufus 1766 Lawyer. Chandler, Nathaniel 1768 Lawyer. Chandler, William 1772 Country gentlemen. Church, Benjamin 1754 Physician (scholar roll). Clarke, Rev. William 1759 Church of England. ____________________________________________________________________________ (1) Compiled from Sabine's Loyalists of the American Revolution. Page 77. Clarke, Richard 1729 Merchant, Secretary to Carleton. Coffin, Sir Thomas Ashton 1772 Commander-General to British Army. Cotton, Rev. John 1747 Pastor of First Church. Crocker, Josiah 1765 School teacher. Curwen, Samuel 1735 Judge of Admiralty. Curtis, Charles 1765 Country gentleman. Dana, Rev. Samuel 1755 Congregationalist. Danforth, Samuel, Judge. Danforth, Samuel, Jr., 1758 Physician. Danforth, Thomas Lawyer. Erving, John, Jr., 1747 Merchant, and of Council. Fayerweather, Rev. Samuel 1743 Congregationalist first, & member of Ch. of Eng. Fisher, Rev. Nathaniel 1763 Born in Massachusetts, and of Church of Eng. Flucker, Thomas Jr. 1783 Army officer. Forbes, Rev. Eli 1751 Congregationalist. Foster, Thomas Frye, Peter 1744 Judge and Col. Gay, Rev. Ebenezer 1714 Gerrish, Moses 1762 Goodale, Nathan 1759 Merchant. Gorham, David 1733 Lawyer. Goss, Rev. Thomas 1737 Congregationalist. Green, Francis 1760 Merchant. Grindley, Benjamin 1751 Lawyer. Hall, Rev. Willard 1722 Congregationalist. Harrington, Rev. Timothy 1737 Congregationalist. Hatch, Nathaniel 1742 Clerk of Courts. Hedge, Rev. Samuel 1759 Congregationalist. Hicks, Jonathan 1770 Medical doctor. Hill, Rev. Abraham 1737 Congregationalist. Holyoke, Edward Augustus 1747 Merchant. Hooper, Joseph 1763 Merchant. Hutchinson, Thomas 1727 Member of House of Rep., Speaker, Judge, Lt- Governor, Judge Sup. Ct. & Governor. Hutchinson, Foster 1743 Judge of Supreme Court. Hutchinson, Eliakin 1730 Judge. Page 78. Hutchinson, William 1762 Inman, George 1772 Jeffries, John 1736 Medical doctor. Jones, Stephen 1775 Kent, Benjamin 1727 Lawyer. Kneeland, 1751 Medical doctor. Lee, Joseph 1729 Judge Lee, Samuel 1776 Merchant. Leonard, Daniel 1760 Lawyer. Lovell, John 1728 Teacher. Lovell, Benjamin 1774 Lyde, Byfield 1723 Chief-Justice of Maine. Man, Ensign 1764 Teacher. Marston, Benjamin 1749 Merchant. Minot, Christopher 1725 Murray, Daniel 1771 Murray, Samuel 1772 With B. troops at L. Oliver, Peter 1730 Chief-Justice of Massc'tts. [The other judges were Edmund Trowbridge, Foster Hutchinson, William Browne, all Tories, and William Cushing, the only Whig.] Oliver, Peter 1761 Medical doctor. Oliver, Daniel 1762 Lawyer. Oliver, Thomas 1753 Lieutenant-Governor and President of Council. Oliver, Andrew 1724 Secretary and Lt.-Gov'r. Oliver, Brendley Sylvester 1774 Medical doctor. Oliver, Andrew 1749 Judge of Court of Pleas. Orne, Timothy 1768 Paine, Timothy 1748 General Court. Paine, Samuel 1771 Clerk. Paine, William 1768 Medical doctor. Palmer, Thomas 1761 Pecker, James 1775 Medical doctor. Perkins, Nathaniel 1734 Medical doctor. Phips, David 1741 Collector and Sheriff. Pickman, Benjamin 1759 Merchang and Collector. Porter, Samuel 1763 Lawyer. Prout, Timothy 1741 Putnam, James 1746 Lawyer and Major. Putnam, James Jr., 1774 Country gentleman. Pynchon, William 1743 Lawyer. Quincy, Samuel 1754 Lawyer. Page 79. Rand, Isaac 1761 Medical doctor. Rogers, Rev. Daniel 1725 Congregationalist. Rogers, Jeremiah Dunman 1762 Lawyer. Ropes, Nathaniel 1745 Judge of Supreme Court. Ruggles, Timothy 1732 Lawyer, Brigadier General, Chief- Justice of C.P.; he, with Otis and Patridge, delegates of 1765; President of Congress. Russell, Charles 1757 Medical doctor. Salstontall, Richard 1751 Col. and Sheriff, son of Richard Salstontall, Judge of Supreme Court. Sewall, Jonathan 1748 Attorney-General. Sewall, Samuel 1761 Lawyer. Simpson, Jonathan 1772 Com. in British Army. Smith, Isaac 1767 Tutor at Harvard. Sparhawk, SAmuel Hirst 1771 Sparhawk, Nathaniel 1765 Council. Spring, Marshall 1762 Medical doctor. Stearns, Johnathan 1770 Lawyer. Stevens, John 1766 Dragoons. Stoddard, Samson 1730 Taylor, Joseph 1765 Thomas, Nathaniel Ray 1751 Council. Thomas, John 1765 One of the seven founders of "Forefathers' Day." Trowbridge, Edmond 1728 Judge of Supreme Court. Tufts, Simon 1767 Merchant; sold tea in British Army. Upham, Joshua 1763 Col. and Inspector-Gen'l. Vassall, John 1757 Vassall, William 1733 Vassall, William, Jr. 1771 Wadsworth, John 1762 Tutor at Harvard. Waldo, Joseph 1741 Walter, Rev. William 1765 Episcopal minister and rector of Trinity Church. Weeks, Rev. Joshua Wingate 1758 Episcopal minister. Wheeler, Rev. Willard William 1755 Episcopal minister. Whitney, Rev. Aaron 1737 Cong. minister. Whitney, Ephriam Medical doctor Whitworth, Miles, Jr. 1772 Surgeon in Navy. Willard, Abel 1752 Lawyer. Page 80. Willard, Levi 1775 Williams, John 1760 General Court. Williams, Seth 1765 Williams, Elijah 1764 British Army. Williams, William 1729 House of Rep. Williams, Israel 1727 House of Rep. Winslow, Pelham 1753 Lawyer; Major in British Army. Son of General John Winslow, who was grandson of the second, and great-grandson of the first, Governor Winslow, of Plymouth. As Lieutenant-Colonel in 1755, General John removed the Academies from Nova Scotia. He was Major-General of Militia. Winslow, Edward 1736 Brother of General John. He was Clerk, Register, and Collector of Post. Winsolow, Edward Jr. 1765 Clerk and Col. in British Army. Winslow, Isaac 1762 Medical doctor. Winslow, Rev. Edward 1741 Episcopal minister of Quincy or Braintree, born in Boston. NOTE. It is calculated that one-third of the American people were loyalists during the Revolution. They were especially strong in New York and South Carolina and Georgia. In Virginia the Tories were fewer than in any other of the States, In New England they were very strong. At the time of the evacuation of Boston, up- wards of eleven hundred retired in a body. Among this number were many persons of distinguished rank and consideration. Sabine puts the whole number who em- barked at the different ports of Massachusetts, pending the controversy and during the war, at 2,000 "at the lowest computation". He says that nearly all the officials of all grades held to the crown, but this remark does not apply to Virginia. Nor, it seems, were there the same pretexts for impeaching the patriotism of the Virginia rebels. The descendants of loyalists used to say that Washington became a rebel because he was soured at not be retained in the British army, after his service in the French and Indian war. But the money consideration, as a motive, was seldom charged against the Whigs of Virginia; and if the thought obtruded itself upon Washington that by living and dying under colonial insititutions he would live and die undistinguished, it was a reproach to the condition of things and not to one who will live for all time. Sabine shows, however, that many of the men of the North were not free from as pointless an attack. The shipping men of the North, who comprised the influential interests, were whole- sale smugglers. A large portion of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were bred to trade, or the command of ships, and more than one of them was branded with the epithet of "smuggler". John Hancock, who was the first to affix his name to the Declaration of Independence, was at the time a defend- Page 81. ant in the admiralty court, in suits of the crown, for nearly half a million of dollars as penalties alleged to have been incurred for violations of the statute book. Sabine says: "If, therefore, the war of the Revolution had its origin in a long course of aggression upon the rights of the North, its successful issue was due in some measure to the more meritorious, because more disinterested exertions of the South". Sabine gives the names of eight hundred and thirty- six Tories of Masschusetts, and there are biographies of four hundred and ninety- five of the leading citizens in every walk of life. The wealth, intelligence, the social and official positions, were all held by the Tories. Of the four hundred and ninety-five men whose biographies are given, one hundred and forty were graduates of Harvard, and the remaining three hundred and fifty-five were just as conspicuous and distinguished. He gives sketches of fifty-nine Virginians, and in his fragments at the end of his two volumes there is a mere mention of fifty-six more, making one hundred and fifteen in all. But of this number very few held any official position. Many of them were Scotch merchants and recent immigrants, Virginians in name only. The most prominent office-holders who adhered to the crown were John Randolph, the attorney-general of the colony, educated, it is believed, at William and Mary, and buried in the college chapel, Richard Corbin and Ralph Wormeley, Jr., of the council, who were educated in England. The only two mentioned by Sabine as students of William and Mary who lent aid to the English cause were Christopher and Robert Robinson, who left the college during the Revolution and ran off to the British. A list of the Virginia loyalists will be given in some future magazine.