Most Humbly Sheweth,

That Your Memorialist being ever most firmly attached to His Majesty's Person and Government, and wholly detesting the principles and practices of the late Rebellion did at the beginning of the Disturbances take an Active and decided part in Support of his Sovereign and the Constitution as will appear by the annexed Certificate No. 1 given by Lieut. Colonel VAN BUSKIRK of His Majesty's late New Jersey Voluntiers- and that in Consequence of such his Adherence he Suffered greatly in his Person and sustained great and heavy Losses the particulars of which he is ready to Exhibit and Verify upon Oath.

That immediately after the unfortunate Convention of Saratoga Your Memorialist proposed to raise a Company of Voluntiers to assist in the Defence of the Garrison of New York which Proposal acquiring the Approbation of His Majesty's Governor and Generals; Your Memorialist was honoured with a Letter from General ROBERTSON then Commandant of New York (a Copy of which No. 2 is herewith Submitted) in Consequence whereof he afterward received his Commission of Captain dated the 2d November 1777, previous to which his Company was raised, Completely equipped and regimented, and did Garrison duty.

That in such Duty his said Company was continued during the War, and altho' it was productive of much heavy Expence and attended with great personal fatigue to Your Memorialist as will appear by the Copy of Mr. Mayor MATHEWS' Certificate No. 3 the Lieutenant Colonel of said Voluntier Regiment herewith also inclosed; yet he Submitted thereto with Chearfulness, consoled with the reflection of his being instrumental in promoting the King's Service. And that for such his Services and Expences he hath not as yet received any Pay or Compensation whatever.

That in addition to his Losses since the Epocha of the Evacuation of New York by His Majesty's Sea and Land Forces; altho' obliged by a Chain of Family Occurences to remain in New York and on Long Island; he hath been totally precluded the benefit of Exercising his Occupation of a Broker and Auctioneer, a Business which he had for many Years pursued with much reputation the annual Profits whereof during the last Eleven Years he was in Business amounted to upwards of One Thousand Pounds New York Currency That such his Preclusion was in Consequence of an Act of the Legislature of the now State of New York passed the 20th of February 1784, manifestly levelled at the Loyalists whereby among other things it is Enacted,

"That no Person shall sell Goods at Vendue without Licence under the Penalty of £ 50 for each Article that he shall so expose to Sale- and that no Licence shall be granted to any Person until he shall have produced a Certificate from at least Six reputable Inhabitants of the City or County of known and undoubted Attachment to the American Cause (of the Truth of which they are to make Oath) that the Person in whose favour such Certificate is given, hath uniformly and unequivocally since the Ninth day of July 1776 demeaned himself as friendly and well affected to the Independence of the United States and hath taken an Active and decided part to Establish and support the same."

That Your Memorialist together with all other Loyalists who resided within the Royal Lines during the Rebellion, is by another Act of the Legislature passed the 12th July 1782 debarred the right of recovering his just Debts in Specie it being by the said Law Enacted that every Defendant may pay in Discharge of any such Debt Loan-Office Certificates or Notes or any State Certificates, which are not worth at their highest rate above five Shillings in the Pound so that your Memorialist must incur a Loss of at least Seventy five per Cent upon all his outstanding Debts.

That Your Memorialist guided by his Wishes and actuated by that natural partiality which he must always feel for the Govenment of his Mother Country would have long since removed with his Family from New York either to Great Britain or Nova Scotia- but that the unsettled State of his Affairs and his desire to secure his Property if possible and avoid the necessity of throwing himself upon the Bounty of Government; added to the perplexed and intricate Situation of an Estate descended to him in right of his Wife, have Combined to Enforce him hitherto to defer the Completion of such his design of removal.

Your Memorialist therefor most humbly prays that his Case may be taken into your Consideration in order that he may be enabled under Your report to receive such Aid or Relief as his Losses and Services may be found to deserve.

And Your Memorialist shall ever pray

Oliver TEMPLETON

Shelburne, June 21st 1786

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Audit Office, Class 13, Volume 80, folios 489-491.

Click here for ---> More New York Claims

                               Top of Page

The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
For information please contact Todd Braisted

Updated 9/01/00