Back to Joseph Orchard | American Loyalist Claim

This will certify the honorable Commissioners appointed by Parliament for Setling the claims of the American Loyalists, that Mr. Joseph Orchard was my very near neighbor, & was known to me from the first of his arrival in America & to the final & disgraceful Loss of it. That both before & after Commencement of the Rebellion his principles of Loyalty were uniform, & unequivocal, exerting him himself with the most forward & zealous, in support of the Constitution & Laws of his Country, by which he exposed himself to dangers & death. For during the late General Tryons residence on board the Duchess of Gordon he supplied him & many others with him, with intelligence & Communications, of such Importance as their safety made necessary, & [-] their Lives at the almost certain Risk of his own with provisions of every kind. Exposed in Several Boats on extended waters, in darkest & most terifying storms of the night and in the most inclement Seasons of the Year his apprehensions were not more excited by these, than the danger that arose from a discovery of his practices by which the rebels redoubled their Vigilance & apprehended him in supplying (going, or returning) their Enemies with that Support they had made criminal for which he would have suffered death, but for private Friendship.

In reward for which inportant Services, on the Arrival of the Kings Troops, he had given him the Superintendancy of His Majesties Bakeries during the War - By the Second Fire of New York he was a very great sufferer as well as by the destruction & waste of a great Track of Land civered with the best Timber & woods, in America, which from its situation made it almost equelly in esteem & value to Lands, so in [-] in this Country. His hospitality to those Loyalists who had fled their native provinces & kind services to them at a great expence [-] the Sincerity & Affection of those principles on which he acted, & recommend him powerfully in Return to that Country for which he ventured [-] thing most dear, & to whose Humanity & Generosity he is now a terrible Supplicant.

I am
Hon'ble Gentleman,
Your most obliged,
& most humble Servant,
John Milner

Ightham near Seven Oakes, Kent
11th May 1789