Freedom Trail Program:

King's Chapel Tory Stories

What are "Tory Stories"?

During Tory Stories, costumed guides assume the characters of some of the Tories (the Royalists loyal to King George III of England) who attended King’s Chapel and were forced into exile in March of 1776. They tell the stories of some of the Tory families attending King’s Chapel during the Revolution and talk about what happened to the Church after their departure.

The above picture is of Mrs. Catherine Gardiner, a Tory woman who fled King's Chapel with her family in 1776. To the left is the Rev. Henry Caner, the last Anglican minister of King's Chapel, who also left in 1776. Catherine and the Rev. Caner have been with us for a few years - we have also had visits from Mrs. Jolley Allen, Sir Charles Henry Franklind, and Lady Agnes Franklind. Despite their loyalty to King George III, our Tories are quite personable, and will be happy to answer any questions you have about themselves, the other Tories at King's Chapel, the Church, or even the Patriot Rebels who attended King's - like John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, or Paul Revere.

King's Chapel and Boston Harborfest!

We would like to thank the thousands of people who came by during Harborfest 2008 for helping to make Tory Stories a success!

We will be back at Harborfest in 2009.

Visit Boston Harborfest for additional information.

Special Tory Stories Requests

In addition to Harborfest, we offer Tory Stories for visiting groups who prearrange their trip to King's Chapel. See our Groups page and application for more information.