Alexander Signs Out

One of the things that has been constant throughout my research into Alexander has been his signature - I have seen it in loads of places from the one done in 1760 as a 14 year old orphan to the ones written to Jefferson etc etc. Very distinctive and strong signature.

The page above should be a link or go here to see the signatures larger.

Today I found his signature from eight years later from the last one I had - from 1806.

"So help him God - ADonald"

I found it rather moving how much it had changed in just a few years.

Ok - a quite summary of Alexander's life - some of the highs and lows.

Born in 1745, orphaned in 1760 and sent to America.

Business thrives - back to GB during the war and a bit of King's hand kissing to pledge allegiance to the Crown - then back to America where he mixes with the powerful elite, weekending with Washington etc.

Then things start to go wrong.

Business goes bust in 1793 - "It requires a considerable strength of mind to enable me to bear up under what has lately happened to me. Well Born, Genteely brought up and educated and left a fortune by my Father when I was only fourteen years of age of upwards of Five thousand pounds Stg, having always been industrious, Free from gameing and every kind of extravagance, and at a time when I though my self indpendent and in a fair way of making a fortune, to be brought to distress and ruin by improper conduct in my Partner, and at my time of Life is what does not fall to the lot of many People." 

Without wishing to sound like "Our Tune" things however did get worse - much much worse. He went into mining and after many an argument with James Watt (Gilbert Hamilton's brother in law funnily enough) goes bust again - but this time he is bankrupt and has to surrender himself in this charming pub - The Bull Inn - in Nuneaton at 11am on 23 August 1800. I think this should obviously be part of the next Donald tour Colin?

Anyway, this time he ends up in the King's Bench Prison - on the site of Educate's offices. We should get a drink there if nowhere else.

Alexander then gets out of prison and moves back to Nuneaton - and here he is, in his 62nd year having to sign everything over to Gilbert Hamilton - including all his debts that he has owning to him from America - although  we know those aren't really going to come good. He hands power of attorney to Hamilton in his partnerships in:

James and Robert Donald and Company
Cochrane Murdoch and Company - his first bosses in 1760, he was indentured to them
Murdoch Donald and Company
Thomas and Alexander Donald and Company
Alexander Donald and Company

He then dies two years later in 1808 - and is buried in Chilvers Cotton, Nuneaton. The church was blown up by a German bomb during the second world war, so things didn't really improve.

Donald hall of shame

After the agents reports - thought I would look at the original claims of debt. Asked for Reel 238 in the Colonial Collection of the Library of Virginia. This should be destroyed - it drags the Donald name through the mud!

Basically there are about 100 pages or so cataloguing in very minute detail the Donald downfall!

It starts with a list of creditors that Thomas Donald has - I didn't realise but he, Robert Donald and Hugh Colquhoun were declared bankrupt in 1787 and this was advertised in the Mercury and he Edinburgh Evening Courant. There is a list of all the people they owed money to - over £15,000 - including £485 for John Bogle, £3,505 to Walter Stirling, £1,336 for Moses Stiven for Buchanan Stiven.

Goes on for pages. Just to put this into prospective - 25 years earlier James Donald had died leaving over £20,000 which was considered a fortune.

Always knew they had difficulties and had to sell up Geilston - but didn't realise it was quite so bad - Alexander was not alone! 

Robert Donald had been provost of Glasgow, which gives me an excuse to put his picture in:

Good strong nose and long top lip - where have a seen that look before?

It is no surprise that Thomas Donald was booted out of the Hodge Podge Club - most of the very long list of people they owed money to were members. However, both he and Robert were given jobs by the boys in order that they could eek out a very modest retirement - Thomas's will makes for very sad reading considering what he inherited.

Anyway - at the end of this a name appears, Gilbert Hamilton. And his name then appears over all the next papers. He basically takes over all Donald businesses he can get his hands on - and is aided by certain young writer from Glasgow who signs the majority of the papers - one Colin Dunlop Donald.

So who is on the hall of shame:

1. Mrs Margaret Jones - nee Donald - who is married to Captain Jones had inherited the estate of James and Robert Donald, but hands over power of attorney to Gilbert Hamilton.
2. Peter Murdoch hands over Murdoch Donald and Company - only he and Alexander were left from that one.
3. Colin Dunlop and sons goes - "sums to a large amount were found to be owning by the said Colin Dunlop and sons, which we found it out of our power immediately to pay".
4. Marion Donald - this is when it gets a bit confusing and really for those who are doing more advanced Donald studies: According to the huge document, Marion is brother of Thomas Donald - a co-partner in James and Robert Donald of which copartnerships James Donald Andrew Donald of Greenock aforesaid merchants Robert Donald and Thomas Donald Junior of Glasgow aforesaid merchants Robert Donald junior Alexander Donald junior and James Buchanan."
Now I am very confused - and don't really understand who is who as I am sure we now have an extra Thomas Donald.
5. Then of course there was Alexander - but he gets his own entry from me.

At the end of all these documents there is one huge one - signed by Gilbert Hamilton - and it is exactly the same signature as on this page here which gives a bit of background to him. It is basically a huge list of companies and names that Gilbert has taken over - he takes them all Thomas and Alexander Donald and Co, Alexander Donald and Company, Dinwiddie Crawford and Company, Andrew Cochrane Robert Donald and Co, Murdochs Donald and Co, Colin Dunlop Sons and Co, Buchanan Hastie and Co - the list goes on and on - and includes the big one - James and Robert Donald and Co.

And who else has signed this document - "signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Colin D Donald" - so at least one Donald did well out of all this. Put that in your talk Colin!

Special Agents Reports

Made it to Richmond - I can't have come in on the best side, but I have a meeting set up with Historic Richmond, so I think they will take me to nicer areas. I got in a bit of a panic about the one way system and ended up very much on the wrong side of the tracks down at the very bottom, but fortunately the sat nav thing got me out of the Bonfire of the Vanities set. Not sure if my brain has gone to mush, but I really have no sense of direction without the sat nav - every time it brings me back to Kenwood I go, "oh, great, here we are" with absolutely no idea how I got there. Always a very pleasant surprise.

Anyway, wanted to get cracking on the special agents reports so got the microfilm out after a bit of faffing. Now, I have got these a bit muddled up - what they actually were were reports into the people who Alexander said still owed him money from before the war. So the agents were checking up if they were still alive, if they had any money, if they still lived locally etc etc.

Some agents were stricter than others - there was one who wrote of everyone owing money that he didn't think they had it, so forget it, but there was another one who went behind their backs and found out that they had sold all their cattle for very little money to their mother so that they had no money in their estate etc. Their neighbours reported them as they had wanted to buy their cattle - so they were taken to the Sherriff to get the money etc.

Here are some examples - you have to remember these agents were doing this working in the late 1790s/early 1800s - so quite a long time after the debts most of which were from the 1770s:

Alexander Donald vs Francis Cooper - £25 due 1 September 1776


F Cooper is dead, his estate is in this county and is able to pay all just debts. No defence against this debt


Alexander Donald vs James Cooper - £3 due 1 September 1776


He died before 1783 and his estate is squandered says Mary Smith. 

The Cooper brothers sound like a parable of the good brother and the bad brother.

Alexander Donald vs Thomas Hudson - £2 due 1 September 1776


Was always insolvent, never possessed any kind of property

The next one I don't really think you could argue with:

Alexander Donald vs William Brooker - £2 due 1 September 1776

Died in the service of the United States early in the revolutionary war. Insolvent - Sarah Brooker

A few of them wrote in letters to say that they didn't owe any money and these were included with the Agent's reports, such as William Burton of Henrico County "He says he never owed Thomas and Alexander Donald any money - he was sherriff in Henrico from the year 1772 till 1775 and settled with all the merchants with who he had transactions and he has never, since the year 1783 been requested to pay any money to any British merchant". 


My favourite was at the end - Alexander's partner before 1793 had been Robert Burton until they fell out spectacularly over who's fault it was that they went bust that year. "Several causes combined to bring upon us this misfortune, and none more than the rash and ill judged Speculation of my partner in wheat and flour in the Winter of 89/90."


Anyway, the agents went to Robert Burton to try and get £64 out of him and he was furious:

Alexander Donald vs Robert Burton - £64


Mr Burton denies his is the debtor and if the debt is just, it must be due some other person of the same name.

Love that - "if the debt is just". There was actually another Robert Burton - he died in 1800, owing Dinwiddie and Crawford and Co £23 from 1774, so it wasn't just Alexander being difficult. At least I hope it wasn't!

Looked through the other debts owing to other Donald members - nothing too exciting that leaped out at me. Couldn't see any famous revolutionaries being hassled, but they might bear a second look.

More windows

To Monticello first thing this morning - in the pouring rain. Was able to drive straight up to the house as it was before the tours started. Went in through the cellars, or dependencies as they are called. Started in the main hall and had a tour of the public rooms and then upstairs - ending up in the dome at the top and into the "cuddy" - a room that has only just been opened up for the behind the scenes tours.

Not the most spectacular rooms in the house I grant you - but the reason I was interested was because of the window. Banging on about Alexander and the windows again. Were these the ones he had to have made?

Also this rather fine round one in the dome:

Jefferson ordered 10 circular sashes of mahogany astragal and hollow.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the main house - but this website has some great pictures of what I saw in there.

Three things which I will look into further -

1. The books - how many of the books in the library were ordered by Alexander? Need to tie in the lists of what he ordered with what is in there and is original. All the ones in the library that Jefferson owned are behind glass.
Speaking of books - Grant was with me for the tour and he now remembers that the book he thinks was Alexander Donald's he bought in Richmond, VA and was a Voltaire, published in Scotland. Could it be? Surely can't? Must look to see if Jefferson ordered a Voltaire from Alexander.

2. Pictures - all around the house were miniatures of Jefferson's friends. Some too tiny to see as they were behind rope etc. Again - a huge long shot, but there were loads of them everywhere. One of Alexander tucked in there somewhere? I need to find the person who has catalogued absolutely everything in there.

3. Wine and glass. Jefferson's wine glasses and decanters on display - annoyingly out of my reach. A fantastic decanter travelling box with 12 decanters - mine only has four - so he knew how to travel. Then were were some old bottle labels from the garden - one labelled 1784 - and here are some notes from Jefferson to Donald about 1784 wines - he certainly liked that year!  Alexander probably regretted saying that he didn't limit him to any price!

"The second was of Chateau Margau of the year 1784. bought by myself on the spot, and a part of the very purchase from which I now send you. It is of the best vintage which has happened in nine years, and is of one of the four vineyards which are admitted to possess exclusively the first reputation. I may safely assure you therefore that, according to the taste of this country and of England there cannot be a bottle of better Bordeaux produced in France. It cost me at Bordeaux three livres a bottle, ready bottled and packed. This is very dear; but you say you do not limit me in price."

Here is what Alexander thought of the wine:

"The wine you were so kind as spare me from your own stock, is very excellent. It is universally admired, and whenever it is produced (which is only on particular occasions) I am prompted either by my gratitude or vanity to declare from whence it came, and give me leave to add, that we never fail to take a toast to your health. Don’t I pray you misunderstand me, which you will exceedingly, if you conclude that you are only remembered at my Table, when your wine is produced on it."

Awful toad.

Anyway - I am now Richmond bound - to try and track down the secret agent files on Alexander and his brother Thomas's claims for compensation after the Revolution.

Jefferson wrote about Richmond when he was ordering his sober stonemason from Scotland -

"The sooner in the spring I can receive him the better, and the moment he lands at Richmond, he should be sent off by your friend there to Monticello, or he will get corrupted. 24. hours conversation with our workmen in Richmond, would so turn his head as that I could never be able to keep him."

I shall try not to come back corrupted.

Holding history

After a meeting with Mary Mason Williams in the office here and armed with a letter of introduction from her, headed to the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. UVA looks like I always imagined an American university to look - campus based - and helped in its beauty by having many of the main buildings designed by Jefferson, including its rotunda and the main buildings around their college green. It was raining again - but will get pictures.

But then all the other great parts that I have seen in countless films etc that obviously I base my whole knowledge of America on - the huge football stadium, the marching band bus, the Virginia University Police Force cars driving around, the massive alumni building, the American football team practising etc etc. I will be spending much more time down at the university which will be great.

Went to the library and was looking through their catalogue of the collection of letters etc they hold of Jefferson's - most of them either the copies he made at the time or 19th century copies.

Then I noticed that one of the letters he wrote to Alexander Donald was the "recipient's copy". As I was a fellow etc, managed to persuade the librarian to let me see the original letter rather than look on microfilm as was normal and sat down presuming it would take sometime to arrive.

Two minutes later - and there it was. I was holding the original letter than Jefferson had written and signed and that Alexander had received and opened. I was touching history!

The letter itself I have to admit wasn't one of the more stunning ones - the text is below - but that didn't take away from the fact that both these men, who obviously I have been studying quite a bit - had held the same bit of paper as I was now. I really didn't think I would get to do that.

Interestingly it said on the folder that held it that it was purchased - so who sold it? Was it a Donald? Or who else had it? Yet another avenue to explore.

Came back and then went back for lunch back in Charlottesville with my fellow fellows. Went for a curry which was great. One fellow has come across Alexander Donald in his studies, so is going to give me that information - something about religion which will be interesting.

The other fellow I spoke to was Grant Gilmore - the chief archaeologist from St Eustatius. His details are here. The island was the major supplier of arms and ammunition to the American revolutionaries.

Spoke to him about Page's/Hanover Town and he said he would be happy to accompany me if I went to the site to explain a bit about what I wouldn't be able to see as obviously he has incredible experience of this. He studied at William and Mary College and had lots of really valuable information about who to meet and what to do etc.

He also said that Alexander Donald was ringing bells - and he thinks in his parent's house he has an 18th century book, printed in Scotland, that has Alexander Donald's name on the frontispiece. I think that would be the biggest coincidence in the world if true. I await to hear.

Meeting Grant at 8am tomorrow morning for our pre-tours tour of Monticello so we can be there before the groups arrive. Very excited about that.

Text of the letter from Thomas Jefferson to Alexander Donald following - the letter that I held today in my own hands! Funny, the back of it, where it was addressed to "Alexander Donald esquire, Richmond" was stamped ALEX. MARCH 12 like a franking machine. Looked somehow out of time and place on a letter from 1790 - 50 years before the first postage stamp.


DEAR SIR Alexandria Mar. 11. 1790.

Your letters to Mr. Wilson were delivered on my arrival yesterday evening. The vessel sails tomorrow. By her I write to Monsieur Lamotte merchant at Havre and Mr. Coffin merchant at Dunkirk to receive and forward the box of plants. Be so good therefore as to have it addressed to the one or the other of these gentlemen according as a vessel may be first found going to the one or the other of these ports. In the mean time the box should be stowed in a cellar as one day’s heat if intense might destroy them. I write in haste & am Your friend & servt,

TH: JEFFERSON

Waynesboro

When I arrived back on Tuesday evening after the visitor's centre, it was such a beautiful evening I decided to head to the hills to watch the sunset. Programmed Tom Tom to find me Waynesboro - without any knowledge of the town whatsoever, but it looked like it was right place from my map.

Fantastic drive up onto the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs the Blue Ridge, part of Appalachian Mountains. Incredible views and saw an amazing hind after seeing my stag at Washington - went along the parkway for a few miles and then turned back.

Headed into Waynesboro as the light thickened. I wanted the authentic American experience and Waynesboro did not disappoint. Asked the sat nav to choose a restaurant and it went for Ed's Grill. Certainly a contrast from lunch and had supper and a beer for 9 dollars, so can't argue with that.

Window sashes

After the talk was taken to the Monticello visitors centre which is fantastic. Amazing displays and interactive exhibits. Most impressive - and surely something to aim for the Donald Museum at Geilston!

There was a big exhibit about the sash windows at Monticello, especially the astragals. They had some on display there and if you looked at the side on of a chopped in half astragal they have there - it was exactly the same as this:

The bit in the bottom left hand corner. This is from a picture Jefferson sent to Alexander.

As I am going to find out more tomorrow on an early morning tour, Monticello was rebuilt in 1790s and Jefferson wrote to Alexander to get his windows ordered - and he wanted the person who had made his windows beforehand involved again - Adam Dennis. No. 13. St Clement's Lange, Lombard Street, London:

"I should chuse those now desired to be made as nearly corresponding as the difference in the size of the glass will admit, and I would prefer their being made by the same man if living because his work was excellently done ... Observe that the sashes alone are wanting, and not glass for them."

Alexander wrote on 5 January 1793 that he was going to order them the following day. Unfortunately Donald and Burton went bust shortly afterwards - so will find out tomorrow if his windows did arrive.

In the letter from Jefferson ordering his windows, he also asked Alexander another favour - to find a sober stone mason from Glasgow to help with the building of Monticello. "I cannot advance a step without a mason."

Alexander replied that it may be hard to find one, sober or otherwise. "I will immediately apply to some of my Friends in Scotland to procure you if possible a good stone mason. There are plenty of them in that Country, but it growing so rich that Fine Houses cannot be so fast built as they are wanted, nothing can induce a good workman therefore to leave his Country but some tempting offer."

Jefferson in New York

On the Tuesday afternoon after I managed to pull myself away from lunch, came back to the library at Kenwood and went to a very good talk on Jefferson's time in New York.

Tea-time talk: Thomas Jefferson in New York
Richard Goodman, author of French Dirt: The Story of a Garden in the South of France and The Soul of Creative Writing will discuss the period when Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton were all living in New York city. Goodman has written on a variety of subjects for many national publications, including the New York Times and Harvard Review, has taught writing in New York for many years, and was a founding member of the New York Writers Workshop. His new book, A New York Memoir, will be published in August 2010. Tea at 3:30pm; the talk begins at 4pm.


Very good speaker and a very interesting talk - Jefferson was there for the six months when New York was the capital of America whilst they were working out where the capital should be. He also wrote four letters to Alexander from New York. 


The first, on 8 April, was how Jefferson had intervened over an abusive letter about Alexander sent to Alexander Hamilton from Colonel Heth (letter to track down!) - "He seemed very ready to suppose that passion might have mingled itself in the representations which had been made to him". Jefferson then goes on to say that Hamilton would be writing to Alexander - something else to track down! "I trust that he will do this immediately, and that a proper opinion of you will temper whatever he may conceive himself obliged to do on fuller information of the fact before him."

The second, on 11 April, was Jefferson returning £50 he had borrowed from Alexander for his journey. He hadn't had to use it as he had managed to get to New York on his last guinea - "An Irishman would say 'twas well I had a last one."

The third letter, on 13 June - Jefferson writes of his migraine that made him stay in bed for a month during his time in New York - "nor am I yet quite clear, as the bark has this time failed to produce a cure". Richard Goodman talked about how much money he spent on the bark during his time in New York. Jefferson then reassured Alexander that his reputation over the Heth letter had "suffered in nobody's estimation here. For that I will answer for you, because I have known you too long to have any doubts myself, or suffer anybody else to have them."

The fourth letter, on 29 August is a reply to Alexander's letter of 2 July 1790. In this Alexander pushed his friend the son of Carter Braxton to be Consul to the West Indies. Then he starts pushing himself in a none too subtle fashion:

"I have another friend to mention to you, but I wlil not presume to say so much in his favour. Seeing that Consuls are appointed for the Ports of Liverpool and Cowes, I would think it the most honourable feather in my Cap, could I obtain the same appointment for the Port of London. The Emolument of office is no object to me, but the Office itself I would always consider as a very flattering proof of the good opinion my Fellow Citizens have of me."

He then bangs on about why he is about to renounce his citizenship which he held from 1785 to 1790 (he also held it in the 1760s) before ending:

"I do not with My Dear Sir that you should move in this business if any other Person has applied that is more capable, or one to whom the emoluments of office would be an object."

Jefferson's reply was a bit of a brush off: "The consulates of the W. Indies had already been filled. Mr Braxton's name however shall be kept on the list of candidates, and all shall be done for him which can be justly done, that is to say, between equal competitors your recommendation shall turn the scale in his favour as far as shall depend on me. The suggestion for your other friend was also too late. Mr Joshua Johnson had been already decided on by the President."

Not much arguing with that.

Richard made much of the fact that this was the time that Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson fell out over where the capital should be - eventually they reached a compromise that it should be in Philadelphia for 10 years and then move south again - which it did and ended up in Washington. So during all this time with the debate going on, Alexander was bothering Jefferson to go and discuss the whole Heth letter with him.

Roosevelt's room

On the Tuesday morning after my panic of what I am going to achieve here I contacted Mary Mason Williams to arrange a meeting with Andrew Patrick O'Shaughnessy - the director of the International Center for Jefferson studies. Andrew's details here 

Went across to Kenwood House and went to his incredibly beautiful office. Rather jealous of that. It was the office that Roosevelt wrote his prayer that he read out on D-Day - Roosevelt used to use Kenwood as a retreat - it was his Camp David. "And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer". 

Discussed project with Andrew which was very helpful - he holds out hope that we may still track down the missing letter from Alexander which closed the correspondence. Also discussed the article I am writing for the Independent on travel in Virginia and he gave me lots of pointers for where to go - and discussed how to focus is on the British in Virginia. Virginia he feels should appeal to anyone who would normally think of staying in Tuscany or the Dordogne - beautiful countryside, interesting heritage, great food and wine etc etc.

Came back to the garage and then received a phone call from Andrew asking me to lunch. Headed off to Keswick Hall - very smart country hotel and had a fantastic lunch. Whole thing very British - including the hunt kennels at the end of the drive etc. Sat outside overlooking the Arnold Palmer designed gold course - and of course discussed history and my project, so all work over the four course lunch!

Home sweet home

Here's home to me and a few hundred stink bugs - although I have taken to hoovering them up which seems to be a winning strategy - although not looking forward to emptying the hoover.

The bedroom has a print of Thomas Jefferson staring down and rather peculiarly a print of the Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard above the bed. Racy tastes Roosevelt's driver had. From 1766 - at the height of Alexander and Jefferson's "jovial days" together.

The study is very nice although I am also being given a very nice office from next week in the main centre.

And there is also a kitchen - that ominous stain on the floor has nothing to do with me!

Library

Was let loose in the Jefferson library yesterday after a quick tour. Obviously great excitement and I went and looked at as many books etc as possible. Some great initial findings - the first one ties in with the start of this project.

I originally found a letter from Robert Donald to President Washington from the Library of Congress pushing his nephew, James D Smith to a position, written in 1794 over 40 years since Robert had seen Washington at Pages. Now have found the letter from James D Smith - and he also talks about Alexander Donald in it, Robert's nephew. Smith writes to Washington about how he finds trade dull and therefore is offering himself as a soldier - "or any other line your excelly may think proper under your Auspicious eye I can push my way thro."

He didn't get a job - despite saying if required "I will immediately sell of all my prorerty, Settle my Accts and with the greatest chearfullness Act as you may be pleased to desire"- so Mr Smith did not go to Washington.

The other things of note:
1. A print of James Brown sr, Alexander's business partner who ran his business in Richmond. Leads me to believe one day I will find a print of Alexander.

Alexander and Brown were very close - he wrote to Jefferson: "I hope that I need not say how happy I shall ever be in your Company, and I can answer for my Friend Mr. Brown that he will be so too." etc etc. He also defended Brown in the case of the Bowman ship, which also involved Alexander Hamilton.

However, after Alexander went bust - he immediately wrote to Jefferson: "It gives me pain however to mention, that you will not trust to Mr. James Brown for shipping your Tobacco to me, for since I left the Country he has shewn a decided preference to Mr. Burton, notwithstanding all my kindness to him. I know Brown’s disposition so well, that I have no doubt of his doing every thing he can to hurt my Interest, but he will find it is too strongly founded to be shaken by his ingratitude."

Jefferson - never one to take sides - wrote to Brown saying he would love him to carry on working with Alexander, but he would leave it up to Brown to decide.

Brown wrote back to Jefferson:

"I am sorry to discover Mr. Donald has Personal Views, that to enforce them he exculpates himself from all Blame of course Rests the failure on his Partners without giving them an oportunity to clear themselves from censure. This conduct every generous Mind will condemn and Suspend Opinions till both Sides are heard. Mr. Donald is also pleased to find fault with my conduct to some of his confidential friends, Without Writing me a Single line on the Subject, however I feel perfectly easy under the charge’s, as I can Satisfy every liberal mind that they are groundless, and this manner of attack below the character of a Man."

James Brown ended up becoming Burton's business partner - and then married Burton's widow - Anna Pitfield (Braddick) Burton in 1807 - Burton died a year before Alexander.

2. Details of the American Loyalist Claims - I think these are going to be vital in the story - but what is more exciting that in Richmond, they also hold the special agents reports into Alexander's claims for money back after the revolution. Two special agents - William Hening and James Jones - investigated Alexander, so can't wait to see those. I think the fact that Alexander was saying he was all pro the revolution etc, but then claiming money back in compensation might explain why he and Jefferson fell out.

3. Lots of reports of the land the Donalds used to own - such as Robert Donald who had 428 acres on both sides of Cripple Creek in Augusta County. Loads of places for Tom Tom to take me to.

4. Nice quote from George Washington to Bushrood about Alexander's attempts at a revenue bill:

"If Mr Donald can place the finances of this Country upon so respectable a footing as he has intimated, he will deserve its warmest, and most grateful thanks. In the attempt, my best wishes—which is all I have to offer—will accompany him."
 
All leading up to the question of why did Alexander fall so spectacularly out of favour with America? There are other reference to how Patrick Henry read out letters from Jefferson to Donald about the constitution etc so he was right in there with them. 


So what went wrong? Was it the Royalist Claims? Did the secret agents find something out? Or did he get sulky about Jefferson continuing to deal with Brown and Burton.  


Anyway, then got in a right state about what I am doing here and how to make the best of it and felt a bit alone in my research, so this morning I have been in touch with the office to arrange some meetings to give me some pointers. As I have said before, no point in making all these sacrifices unless something really good comes out of it - and can't do that on my own, so need support. I need focus and to develop the plan - and not to just run around looking at every book going! 

Not alone

It appears I am not alone in my cottage. Virginia is under attack from stink bugs. 

They are everywhere at the moment - just trying to work out how to wage war against them. When you attack them, they release a charming smell.

New home

Have arrived at my new home for the next few weeks. It is the Garage Apartment of Kenwood Farm - used for Roosevelt's driver when he came to stay at Kenwood House which it is right next to. Still pouring with rain - but here it is in all its glory on their website. The other cottage is no longer available to fellows. Has a slight feeling of the coachman's house I used to live in at the end of Kensington Palace Gardens, so a home from home.

Arrived dad-early for 10am meeting, so nipped into the visitor centre for Monticello. Obviously loads of books on Jefferson so flicked through the indexes of a few of them. Rudely, the only ones to mention Alexander are the ones to do with wine - Alexander and Jefferson exchanged lots of letters about wine. One of my favourite quotes is from Alexander to Jefferson when he was in Paris:

"If you can procure for me one groce of the best Claret in France, in time to send by return of my ship Bowman, I will be very thankful to you for it. I want it of the first grade and high flavour. I don’t limit you to any price. "

I always thought that was very Withnail and I.

"We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now."

Arrival

Boring long, delayed flight - watched Green Zone - and then arrived to very overcast Washington. Huge queue for immigration. Had teething problems with new Tom Tom navigation system so ended up in a very quiet wood when a huge stag jumped out in front of me, so felt like I was in Kinnloch Rannch. The drive down to Charlottesville also made me feel I was on the A9 as well. Incredibly horrible weather, but fortunately I had the measure of the accent on the Tom Tom by now so found my hotel - more following the lines on the screen than on the road as there was so much water around. Was greeted with the news that they had had a heatwave for last few months with no rain but now it had all come in one hour or so. In the spirit of Don Draper, went to the bar to order an Old Fashioned - but it was closed early on Sunday.
Now Monday morning and getting ready to go and fix myself alongside Monticello. Very excited to see where I am staying obviously, but also very excited to discuss the ideas for research and what can be done with the research. No point in doing it if just for a personal project.
Just to complete the Kinnloch Rannoch theme - here's the view from my window at the moment - I don't know what I quite expected, but it probably wasn't this!

Research plans

On flight - inspired by my thought that I really need to go for it having said good bye to the family - began to write a list of what I want to achieve on the trip and what it might lead to. Still a work in progress, but need something to discuss on Monday morning when I go to the ICJS. I think a lot of the research for the early part of the Donalds in America will focus on Pages. We know from a letter from Robert Donald that he received Washington there and Alexander wrote to Jefferson about their many "jovial days" at Pages.
Also want to do a lot of work on the compensation that was given to merchants etc after the war. How much were the Donalds paid - and surely that must have put a slight strain on things as Alexander swanned around staying at Mount Vernon etc. Does the time the payments came correspond when Jefferson and Alexander stopped writing to each other.
Two holy grails to look for - a portrait of Alexander Donald - we have paintings of his brother, his uncle and indeed several versions of his father - so is there one of him somewhere?
And also the last letter from Alexander. Jefferson wrote to Alexander on 30 May 1795. It is a lovely letter that I am sure I will refer to many times - where Jefferson says to Alexander, come to Monticello, "and fix yourself along side of it, and let us take our soupe and wine together every day, and talk over the stories of our youth, and the tales of other times. We shall never see better."
The notes at the bottom of this letter from the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Digital edition, say: "Donald closed his correspondence with TJ with a letter of 22 Feb. 1796, recorded in SJL as received from London 14 May 1796, but not found."
Closed his correspondence? That sounds quite dramatic. Alexander loved to name drop and flatter Jefferson, so why suddenly did he close his correspondence? Might have something to do with the fact that Jefferson carried on dealing with Alexander's ex business partner Burton after their company went bust and Alexander asked him not to.

Leaving

Drove to Heathrow on Sunday morning to catch flight. Then had the horrible job of saying goodbye to family at Terminal 3. However - it made me realise that I have to make sure I get the best from the trip. So many people involved - so I have to really go for it. This is a great opportunity.

One day to go

Tomorrow I fly to America to start my Jefferson fellowship. Over the next six weeks I am going to research the history of the Donald family in America during the 18th century. The particular focus will be on Alexander Donald, 1745-1808 and his relationship with Thomas Jefferson and I will be staying next to Monticello - Jefferson's house in Virginia.
Here is the research as it stands: Alexander Donald
When in America I will be staying at the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello and here is a map of the campus and details of the center. Not sure which house I shall be in. Details of the fellowship are here.
Today I have to work out how to fit six week's worth of stuff into one suitcase.