Nathan Frink

Captain Nathan Frink Jr. (May 19, 1758 – December 4, 1817) was an American lawyer in Pomfret, Connecticut, and then switched to support the British, following which he was derided by Patriots as "a notorious traitor to the States".

He took a land grant from the Crown after the war, making his home in New Brunswick, where he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Revolutionary War Patriot service Known as a "brisk, smart, young man" and a successful lawyer who cooperated with Oliver Grosvenor in planting prominent avenues of elm trees around Pomfret,

On August 24, 1775, Frink was noted as having secured six guns and ten blankets "to supply the loss of our soldiers at Bunker Hill.

Frink turned to gunsmithing for the States,

He was again called upon for procurement of firearms for 1777, and was also named a Justice of the Peace by the State Assembly in May 1777.

In February 1778, Frink was granted permission by the State Assembly to cross enemy lines to New York "to transact some business". He included a cryptic postscript, "Jack Heart-well — Worcester. All except Whiting, in consumption. Dont expect to see him alive on return. Vistelle resigned. In great haste."

Frink testified on July 6, 1779, that he had witnessed Diah Cooke of New Haven smuggling British goods from New York hidden in his wagon.

Loyalist service After working as a spy for the Americans for a substantial period, It was also said he had been passed over for promotion, and Frink "thought himself ill-treated".

On July 31, 1779, the British-aligned veteran Joshua Loring wrote to the Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe of the Queen's Rangers that Nathan Frink was awaiting to have British troops bring an enclosed document under flag of truce to the Continental Army's outpost. Still, Frink's Pomfret estate that he had inherited from his father was later seized.

In February 1781, Gnl. Parsons wrote to Gnl. Heath, referencing a letter that Frink had written to Heath insulting Parsons. Parsons notes that they have captured "a negro slave" belonging to Frink and sold him to raise funds to benefit the soldiers involved.

Frink served a cavalry Captain in the King's American Dragoons under Benedict Arnold, to whom he served as an aide de camp.

In 1781, Frink commanded the main battle force of Loyalists under Arnold capturing the new Fort Trumbull in the Battle of Groton Heights.

At one point Frink was captured, and placed in the Stamford guard house in the custody of James Wilson who was bribed to facilitate his escape.

Frink led 300 refugees from Horseneck Meeting House to Bedford, and stopped at Clapboard Ridge, a farming community in mid-country Greenwich, Connecticut where they seized horses, cattle, sheep and hogs and took them to Morrisania after a skirmish with whaleboat militia guards. A whaleboat man, Henry Chichester, later recalled that in a skirmish off Davenport Neck that killed two British troops, Captain Frink had offered mercy to any irregulars who surrendered causing a fighter named Jones to respond "If you will wheel your horse about in five minutes, very well - otherwise I will instantly order my men to fire", causing Frink to withdraw.

Resettlement and life in New Brunswick Frink married Hester Cuyler at Trinity Church in New York City on February 1, 1783. On September 18, 1783, Frink and Hester left New York harbour with their two enslaved African children, James and Diana, on the ship "Elizabeth", helmed by Captain Watson. James, 16, had been a gift to his wife from her mother, and Diana, age seven, had been purchased from Mrs. Beadle of Staten Island. As a United Empire Loyalist, Frink was granted four lots of land in Parrtown, today part of Saint John, New Brunswick. He left Saint John to move to Campobello Island, where he was implicated as part of a smuggling ring along with Moses Gerrish, who acted as the chief customs officer on Grand Manan. On September 11, 1795, the French privateer ship La Solide attempted to pillage St. Andrews upon the urging of Maine residents Andrew Bowman and Peter Merang. After landing a team of plunderers, the ship and its crew were captured by the Charlotte County Militia, transported to St. Andrews as prisoners of war and held for four days, chiefly by Captain Frink.

During one of his petitions to the legislature, the phrase "Get to the Frink" came to replace "Get to the point", for those gathered and for years later was used with humour. Frink finally settled in St. Stephen, where he became involved in the Bank of St. Stephen and was elected the MLA for Charlotte County. He also became a ship owner.

In 1801, Francis Mathews Jr. complained to Frink, who was now appointed magistrate, that Owen had sworn out a warrant alleging Mathews was of bad character for keeping "a poor transient woman" in the marital home with his wife, leading Mathews to counter demanding a warrant against Owen for keeping the married woman Hannah Smith in his own home as a servant.

Owen, who was a Justice of the Peace, brought an unsuccessful libel suit against Magistrate Frink and Magistrate Robert Pagan for having entertained legal accusations against him, for Frink having written a personal note in the margins of Mathew's filings, and for ridiculing his efforts to run for office. On one occasion, Thomas Farrell, the developer of Deer Island, travelled to Fredericton with the intent of challenging Frink to a duel, as was his custom.

In 1803, Col. Hugh Mackay wrote to Colonel Edward Winslow, noting "between you and me, peace and tranquility will never be effectually established in this County while Robert Pagan, Nathan Frink and Ninian Lindsay are continued on the Commission of the Peace. The two latter the real incendiaries - indeed from teh violent conduct of all three, both at home and abroad, they have forfeited all claim to the least indulgence from Government.

On March 17, 1804, Frink declared a $100 reward for the capture of John Gilley, master of the ship Nancy who he accused of stealing his wares being shipped from New Haven before attempting to flee to the West Indies.

After his death, he was buried in St. Stephen's Loyalist Burying Ground. Frink's sister had married Schuyler Putnam, son of US General Israel Putnam, and they donated to the St. Stephen Bible Society following Frink's death. When the wife of Frink's son George died, two of the children named Elizabeth ("Lib") and Charlotte ("Lot") were subsequently raised by Frink's youngest daughter, Charlotte Ann, who was married to William Thompson. The house built in St. Stephen for his son James, a ship owner and magistrate,