Having devoted his whole Life, to the Age of near Thirty, in preparing himself for future usefulness, Ten useless Years have [closed] the Account: And he now finds himself near his Fortieth year, banished under pain of death, to a distant Country, where he has not the most remote family connection, nor scarcely an Acquaintance, who is not in the same Circumstances -- cut off from his profession -- from every hope of importance in Life, and in a great Degree from Social enjoyments. And where, unknowing and unknown, he finds, that after having expended the little, he hopes to receive, as above related, that he shall be unable, while he may be said only to wait for death, to procure common Comforts and Conveniences, in a Station much inferior to that of a Menial Servant, without the assistance of Government.

-- THOMAS DANFORTH, memorial to loyalist claims commission, September 8, 1783