Cockpit of history

Friday took family down the road well trodden by Donalds past - to Hanover County. Thursday we were on route 64 which is a very beautiful dual carriageway, but you don't see anything except trees - so today we went the back routes - through Keswick, up to Boswell's Tavern, through Louisa and on to Hanover. Letters from Alexander I read on Thursday in the William and Mary said that he went to Hanover Court and Louisa Court and then on to Albermarle - so he must have taken the same road - and he also had an uncle living at Major Boswell's, which is Bowell's Tavern. Stopped off at the Page's library - an old stage coach house and another place I am sure Alexander would have stopped in - which is fantastic and picked up a history of Hanover Town, our eventual destination.
After Page's library went on to Scotchtown - Patrick Henry's house from around the time that Alexander Donald was employing him for cases and also when they must have been near neighbours. Children being children, when I told them what we were going to see, obviously focussed on the fact they wanted to see the room downstairs where his wife was kept when she wasn't well. Kept asking questions of the Docent about that - another word for guide or interpreter that seems to be used here. Of all the houses I have seen - and I have been to quite a few now - I think it is probably the most accurate for the houses the Donalds would have been in. One of those, if only the walls could talk moments.
From here to Hanover Tavern for lunch. Very good bloody Marys. And a very good lunch. Explored the tavern - again as this is where Patrick Henry was staying whilst he was working in the court opposite - and from his ledger, this is somewhere he and Alexander must have met. The present day Alexander and his sister had a great time running around and also went on the stage which has been put in the basement, which looks great. Annoyingly sold out so we didn't see a play.
Then went in convoy with Darshell leading to Slash Church - the oldest frame church still standing in Virginia. It dates back to 1729. Patrick Henry's uncle was the rector between 1737 and 1777 and he was at the centre of the Parson's Cause, the big case that made Patrick Henry's name - and the judge for the case was none other than Patrick Henry's father. 
From there to Hanover Town and met up with Alastair, my host from dinner last Saturday, so when we turned up at the farm there were quite a few of us I have to admit, so ran ahead and explained, but the owners were charming and said not problem. Went with Leroy and Caroline down to the Pamunkey River - and this time I was shown the remains of the warehouse - which was Page's original warehouse. Just on the banks of the river, you can see some bricks, the remains of the foundations, sticking out from under the roots of some trees. Apparently substantial English and Flemish bond brick foundations were visible in the river bank until they were washed away by the floods of 1972 - now there are very few bricks remaining, they are all slowly being washed away by the river. 
The town was thriving in the 18th century - but now it is very hard to imagine the importance it played, and how it could have only lost out to Richmond by one vote in the race to be the main city of Virginia in 1781. Scots always seem to have been important to Hanover Town - in 1736 there was an advertisement in the Virginia Gazette for a party on St Andrews Day. 

Any number of country fiddles to enter the competition, dancing, singing, foot-ball play, jumping and wrestling. And if that wasn't enough - a pair of silk stockings - fine at that - to be given to the handsomest maid on the Green. Who could refuse an invite like that? As the Virginia Gazette went on to say: 

That's good entertainment. Who could ask for more? Merry disposed Gentlemen of Hanover indeed. 
Now, looking at a few bricks on the side of the river, it is hard to imagine all this history - and that there was a tavern there in the 1770s, where "gentlemen may depend on being genteelly entertained", run by John Merriweather. Then Tinsley opened one, offering "as good, or the best entertainment in the colony" in 1772. 
However, Hanover Town had bigger dates with destiny than a few Scots enjoying a drink or two and a couple of taverns vying for business. 
In 1781 a hospital for the American wounded in the Revolution was established there. Cornwallis burnt down the warehouses in the same year. The French supply wagon passed through in 1782, under Generals Collot and Berthier. 
Over 150 British prisoners were there in 1781 as well. They caused quite a few problems - and on November 15 a local resident asked for relief from the "hearty fellows". Slightly stronger letters followed - A Kirkpatrick wrote about the prisoners: "who are daily committing some wanton destruction on either public or private property. Two nights ago they broke open the Issuing house and took several barrels of flour - they have burnt three houses already, that was empty, all fencing within half a mile of town and most pailing around their gardens." 
Count Rochambeau camped at Hanover Town in 1782 on his ways home and indeed the map made during his visit is the only surviving map of the town from that time.

 

Things seem to quieten down in Hanover Town from this time - probably due to the fact the river was being silted up from the neighbouring tobacco fields. Arms were requested to defend the town in 1800 during Gabriel's abortive slave insurrection threatened Richmond in 1800 as Hanover Town was said to be the route of retreat planned by Solomon, Gabriel's brother should the revolt fail. There is no indication that he went there. 
So by the time that US Grant's troops crossed the Pamunkey river there in the Virginia campaign of the Civil War in 1864, little more than a ferry remained. Leroy explained that Custer had also been there and pointed out the spot in the river that he is said to have fallen in as he was impatient for a pontoon bridge to be built to cross the river. 
Then we went to the grave of Latane just over the fields. Captain William Latane of the 9th Virginia Cavalry is famous for three things. 
Firstly being the only Confederate soldier killed during JEB Stuart's ride around Union general George B McCellan's army during the Peninsula campaign in 1862. 
Secondly for having a poem written about his death - which includes the following lines: 

A brother bore his body from the field
And gave it unto strangers' hands, that closed

The calm blue eyes, on earth forever sealed,

And tenderly the slender limbe composed:

Strangers, yet sisters, who, with Mary's love,

Say by the open tomb, and, weeping, looked above.

A little child strewed roses on his bier,

Pale roses, not more stainless than his soul,

Nor yet more fragrant than his life sincere

That blossomed with good actions, brief, but whole.

The aged matron and the faithful slave

Approached with reverent feet the hero's lowly grave.

No man of God might say the burial rite

Above the "rebel"--thus declared the foe
That blanched before him in the deadly fight.
But woman's voice, in accents soft and low,
Trembling with pity, touched with pathos, read
Over his hallowed dust the ritual for the dead
.

And thirdly for having this painting painted of his burial by William Washington, which was then made into a print and became a firm favourite in the South. 

There's the little child stewing roses on his bier and as no man of God, the woman's voice, trembling with pity, reading over his hallowed dust the ritual for the dead. 
Saw this painting years ago and was always struck by its strong message, which I admit with hindsight it does rather lay on with a trowel and is not quite as sophisticated or subtle as I once thought. However, very moving to stand next to his grave and look around the surrounding fields in the setting sun as Leroy pointed out where the Hanover Town settlements had been and where Leroy used to pick up bullets from Civil War camps, where he used to find arrow heads from the Pamunkey Indians, where the slave burial ground is that he had fenced off and where he used to find weights for scales with Lions on them from England and to think of all the people who had been through Hanover Town through the ages, or had lived there, and how important a hub it had been. 
Now it is just fields. 

Colonial Williamsburg

Whilst I was having fun in the library of William and Mary, the children were let loose in CW and had a great time. Here's their choice of pictures.

Multi-talented Ben

OK, slight aside again and call it historical interference once more, but he does have a Donald surname and he is a cousin. After reading BAD's letter about stuccoing consistency and linseed oil, I thought I would do a quick google search to see what else Ben A Donald gave his two bob's worth of opinion on.
Three things leapt out at me -
1. He wrote a letter to Nathaniel Francis Cabell in 1854 on sun dried tobacco.
2. He wanted to build a plank road from Bedford to Lynchburg
3. He put in a design for the Confederate Flag that was presented by Mr Hilton to the Confederate House of Representatives in 1862.
What - BAD designed the Dixie flag? Surely not. Have to admit I think not - there seems to have been lots of flags and designs according to this website. Whilst I like to take credit for Donald involvement in most parts of US history, not sure if I can lay claim to that. If you want a full ruling, may I recommend you try the definitive guide to the subject - Confederate Symbols in the Contemporary South - edited by one William Donald Richardson (spooky).

William and Mary Treasures

So many original Alexander Donald letters in the William and Mary Special Collections library. Amazing - not since I was sent all the letters that he wrote to Boulton and Watt have I come across such a large collection in one day. But these were much more special as they are the real thing - the originals - rather than photocopies. As I said in the last post, they look like they were written yesterday, all in incredibly good condition and I appreciate going back to my relic comment from before, but these were written by the person I have been studying for quite a bit now and written over two hundred and twenty years ago at the time of the French Revolution, in fact some written within a month of the storming of the Bastille. It really was a very special moment to uncover quite so many - although slightly makes me panic that there must be other batches as good, if not better, somewhere else waiting to be discovered!

So much to go through - and I obviously need to go back with a proper camera as you can see from above - but this collection, or rather two collections (plus an original William Short to Alexander Donald, recipient's copy, thrown in and more on that later and its provenance), illustrate the social life of a merchant. I think the collection in the Rockefeller Library, just down the road from William and Mary were great to illustrate the economic life - looking at what was in their holds and how many hogsheads of tobacco were involved etc for the nuts and bolts, but these illustrate how wheels of business were actually oiled just to mix my metaphors. And it looks pretty much like a pack of cards to be honest - lurching from one crisis to another, chasing up payments here and putting off payments there.
All illustrates very clearly how the Donald and Burton business was set up - either consigning tobacco to Alexander to sell on your behalf in Europe, and waiting for the money once he had sold it, or selling it to him to do with it as he wanted and getting the money up front - or getting the money against what you had bought from Alexander from Europe. I had focussed on this on the talk I gave last week.
Also the many desperate letters Alexander sent just before his ships arrived in America shows just how important it was to make sure that there was enough tobacco ready in dock to fill up the ships so they could have a quick turnaround as the longer it took to fill up, the more expensive it was. Likewise letters sent to tell people to get in their orders for European goods early - so that everything could be ordered in time to fill up boats on the way from Europe to America. Quick turnarounds were very much imperative to keep costs down
Going to return to these letters many times over the next few days and will show some off these points and more - but the other thing they are fantastic at illustrating is the language of business. All being very civil to each other and behaving in a very formulaic way, but at the same time making sure you get the message across that they are behind in payments etc.
Nothing like veiled threats - just being disappointed that they haven't done something or disappointed when their behaviour has let them down. Alexander seemed to be in a state of permanent disappointment about something - for instance when someone hadn't popped in for a drink of "cool punch" when they said they would as he had wanted to discuss their consignment of tobacco, or a similar one: "When I heard of your being in town lately, I assured myself that you would not have left without calling upon me and settling your account". 
Seemed the best thing to do to get someone to do something was not to challenge them or threaten them, but almost to question their gentlemanly behaviour in a very subtle way - indeed even question if they were actually a gentleman, without of course ever being as crass as to say it like that. Everything is about face - as I said it was all a pack of cards, so you had to just keep up a front.
I think the reaction Alexander wanted to get is for the person he wanted the money from to say: "how dare he suggest in a terribly round about and convoluted but terribly civil way, I am not good for that payment, of course I can pay, I am a gentleman with a great estate/business and all is going so terribly well, and I can prove it, so I had better pay" rather than getting them to say: "if I don't pay, he will do something horrid to me, so I had better pay".
Here is Alexander once again being disappointed - this time someone else hasn't been to see him:
"If I am well, I intend seeing you between Hanover Court next and you Louisa Court. From this last I propose to go to Albemarle - and tho you pass by my door frequently, yet I will behave more civilly to you" 
Tomorrow we are doing the opposite, going from Albemarle to Hanover Court and shall certainly raise a toast to Alexander Donald (would never pass by his door) - and in cool punch of course.

Ben the Builder

Having an amazing afternoon in the Special Collections Library of William and Mary College in Williamsburg. Loads of original Alexander Donald letters from 1780s - amazing to hold and see them - and still boxes to go through. Slight time limit as library closes in a couple of hours and family are let loose in Colonial Williamsburg so will have to go and retrieve them. Loads to report on the A Donald ones - amazing that so many are here and all as crisp as the day they were written.
Slight aside, but just found a letter from cousin Ben A Donald - yes, BAD himself. Dated 10 June 1780 - annoyingly my camera is also on tour of CW - so pictures not of the usual high quality. The letter was sent from Bedford Co, which ties in with everything and was sent to JM Spiller who sent him a letter on the 7th June.
"I duly received yours of 7th Instant and hasten to answer it."

It is basically a very detailed description of how, despite the fact that he has used little Stuccoing "about my house", of how it was done at his house - which I presume is Otterburn. He then goes into a long description of how his house was actually "sand painted" and again goes into a fairly lengthy description of that and how he mixed it with linseed oil to make it work well with a brush.
Then a passage on his anti-rodent work: "To prevent the rats from annoying me, I built the walls close around the joists up to the floors from bottom to top, and filled the wash boards jam up to the brick wall, leaving no vacancies to enable the rats to get between the plastering and flooring".
He then ends his letter:
"You will find that the sand painting I describe will stick well upon planking and preserve it from the weather.
"Yours most respectfully, Ben A Donald"

Trying to find out who JM Spiller was and why his letters are kept here. Still find it very strange the things that are kept for posterity - glad that cousin Ben's paint recipes were saved for the nation.

Endless Donalds

Virginia has been invaded by the second wave of Donalds - not since the early 1770s have so many been in the state - and there are still more to come!

Have had a fantastic two days introducing family to the sites of Charlottesville and beyond.
Tomorrow we go to Williamsburg - I have a lot of letters to uncover in the Swem Library and the family is going to look around Colonial Williamsburg.
Can't wait to get through these letters 17 in the Jerdone family papers and 7 in the Armistead Cocke Papers at least - and many originals from Alexander himself, so quite exciting to get my hands on those if I can. And an original William Short to Alexander Donald - quite excited to see that one as have been chasing up the micofilm and still not seen it.
Some could be quite challenging - here is an extract from the library catalogue:
Reports receipt of three horses, their condition, groom's bill, and that he has forwarded them; questions servants sobriety; makes comment that "white servants do not suit this country".
Very funny - in later letters to James Watt, the industrial giant, he is always questioning a chap who worked for Watt's sobriety - the bog was his mine - and he had bought a second hand steam engine to help drain the mine. Robert Batty he is always giving a hard time to. :
At the same time I wish you to send some person here to take upon him the whole affair, as you don’t consider me a competent judge – I hope he will be a soberer man that Rt Batty who was sent by Mssrs Boulton & Watt, the day Batty arrived at the Bog he was shamefully Drunk, and during the part of two days he stayed in the neighbourhood, never saw him sober
This is from the man who did not so something for Jefferson once as he had made free with the "juice of the grape".
Great to have Alexander Donald - son of a James Donald as well - back in Virginia! Here we are paying our respects to Thomas Jefferson in the Rotunda of the University of Virginia.

Historical interference

One of the problems - or one of the excitements - about researching Alexander Donald is that obviously his letters are not digitalised, are not available online and are not on in neat bound volumes on shelves. Therefore it all involves a lot of rolling up sleeves and going through boxes of papers where you think there might be something, but you are not totally sure. One of my problems is that fact that I get distracted by what is in these boxes and start off on tangents. Call it historical interference.
For instance at the Valentine in Richmond, I was given a huge box of Patrick Henry papers where they thought there might be something - turns out there wasn't, but it was still great fun to go through it. Here's an example - a tiny bit of paper, like a receipt:
In Committee, December 1775. 
Ordered that Colonel Henry be at liberty to give directions to the keeper of the public goal for the discharge of James a mulatto slave belonging to Lord Dunmore
Now, this is a few months after the Gunpowder Incident involving Henry and Dunmore. On April 20th 1775 at the start of the revolutionary war, Lord Dunmore ordered that the gunpowder be removed from the magazine in Williamsburg and taken to a Royal Navy ship. Local militias were not happy and Patrick Henry led the Virginia Militia to force the return of the gunpowder. He was instead given £330 - and this was the beginning of the end for Dunmore, he soon retreated to a HMS Fowey and dreamt of building a pineapple-shaped building in Airth, Scotland, or retiring to it, depending on when you think it was built, before or after he was in Virginia.
So what is the significance of this tiny scrap of paper in an old musty box? Who knows, but I find it diverting. What was James doing in prison and why was Henry getting him out?
Other pieces of interference which threw me off the scent - a letter from a brother to his sister who he had never written to before describing his feelings about his wife dying. That really was very beautiful. A recipe to make minced collops from the start of the 19th century - sound like burgers to me. A letter from 1801 from a landowner to his neighbour telling him to clear up his pond as it stank - early neighbourhood wars:
The remaining stagnant water just below me has become so offensive that a physician called on me this morning supposing it was on my lot, and informed me it was also totally necessary that the water be drawn off, or the hole filled up immediately, as several persons in the neighbourhood of the pond are ill with a fever, which it was believed had been produced from the stagnant water below me, which is very putrid indeed.
Does sound fairly unpleasant.
Then another letter about a slave in prison. This was from Richmond Prison in November 1814
Sir, I will esteem it a favour of you to inform my master that I acknowledge that I have done wrong and I have reflected very curiously upon my conduct and I find myself in fault, there for if he thinks proper to take me out of this place he may rely on my former conduct being better than my latter, you will please to state to him that any acknowledgement that I can make to him that I am willing to do and perform what I promise. 
Jack 
Mr Call's man
The more observant amongst you will have noticed that Mr Call is the chap who Alexander Donald gave his land to  in Richmond in 1804 from that last post. Again, to me a letter like that asks so many questions - but questions which are obviously not relevant to why I am here. However, they do make looking through old boxes all the more exciting as you never know what you will uncover next. And there are lots more to go through in Williamsburg.

Alexander sells off Richmond

Alexander Donald always seems to have something up his sleeve. At the Valentine Museum in Richmond I found many references to letters that are in Williamsburg, so I need to get back there and find those - but then I found a great document from Alexander in 1804. Just to remind those at the back of the class, Alexander Donald has left America in 1790 or so, gone bust in 1793, moved into coal mining on the dawn of the industrial revolution, somehow managed to go bust again, ended up in debtor's prison and is now at large.
The document is signed by the Lord Mayor - John Perring in Mansion House. With him he has Alexander and three witnesses - Richard Pinch of Lawrence Lane, Abraham Hendricks of Lawrence Lane and John Lockyer, servant to Richard Healing of Lawrence Lane. Presume Mr Healing was otherwise engaged so sent his chap. Annoyingly, the seal of A Donald was not there - there was a bit missing. Would have loved to have seen his seal. Toujours Pret do you think, like his nephew's bookplate?
Very long document - but the long and short of it is that Alexander owned two large chunks of land below Main Street in Richmond, which he had rather cleverly kept hold of whilst going bust quite so many times. He had held these since 1789 - and one he received from quite a few people including one James Brown. Before he left Richmond he had written a document saying that James was to inherit it all - just to go back to a letter I found ages and ages ago in the Virginia Historical Society to James's mother, he had described him as such:
I only do your son James common justice when I say that he is the cleverest man in business I ever met with in the whole course of my life and that is impossible for him to be exceeded in industry
So you can see why he wants to leave everything to James Brown.
Now, in 1804, for the sum of One Dollar - he takes everything away from James - and hands it all to Daniel Call and his heirs - with the slight caveat that he has to sell it immediately, so not really for his heirs, and send the money he makes straight to Alexander Donald.
So who Daniel Call? He was a lawyer and the brother in law to John Marshall - the chap whose house I had just been in when I read this document. See, I said it would tie in.
And why was Alexander so upset about James Brown? He had held a grudge against him since 1793 - writing 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. 
He had blamed Burton for Donald and Burton going bust and now Brown was siding with Burton. Forgive me if I have covered this, but the quote from Brown to Jefferson I thought was great.
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.
Looks like Alexander was taking his personal views out on Mr Brown - and I have to admit, this probably was a little below the character of a Man what he did. History does not - yet - relate what, if any, money Alexander received from the sale. Jefferson being Jefferson wrote a fairly wishy washing letter to Brown - he made his views known, but told him to sort it out. Always keen to avoid a fight.
To whom do you consign my tobacco? I have so much confidence in my friend Mr. Donald that I would rather he should have the selling it than any body, and I learn that this would be the case if consigned to a Mr. John Younger, heretofore a clerk in the house of D. & B. I also understand that Havre is a fine market for tobacco at present. I shall leave this to your decision, but shall be glad to hear from you on the subject
Again, not sure what Brown did, but I think we can guess. Still, I think Alexander had the last laugh.

More Richmond

On Friday in Richmond, in preparation for the trip to Fancy Farm - went to visit two houses of the period so I could compare and contrast. The first was directly behind the library - and was the house of John Marshall. He was the third Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1801 and served until his death in 1835. He was also big in Richmond at the time that Alexander was there and he built this house between 1788 and 1790. He is mentioned in a few letters - so I think we can safely assume that Alexander did visit this house - especially after what I found out later.

The oldest surviving brick house in the city of Richmond. Very interesting to see a town house after all the country houses I have been to. Richmond doesn't seem to attract that many tourists - for my tour of this house and indeed of the next house, Wickham House, I was on my own, which was great, so I got a very thorough tour. Mrs Marshall had 10 children and frequently had migraine headaches (not that frequently judging by the 10 children) and secluded herself away in this house. She apparently also suffered from an unknown chronic disorder that made her uncomfortable in public. She died on Christmas Day 1831 at the age of 65, so did ok for such a frail lady. 

Amazing decanters around the house – many of them original to the house as is much of the furniture – so very interesting to see the style of chairs that Alexander would have had seen at the time, and of course, perhaps the very chairs that he sat in. Marshall comes up later in the document which I found next door about Alexander.

In their bedroom they had some metal quoits on the floor. Quoits was a very fashionable game amongst the gentlemen of Richmond - indeed there was a Quoits club which all the great and the good belonged to and which Marshall was a very keen member of.

Now, wherever Donalds are, they always seem to be quite keen to get into a club - awful bores - only disappointed I have not joined the Quoit Club which is still going in Richmond. There was also another club - The Amicable Society of Richmond -"with the benevolent object of relieving strangers and wayfarers,in distress, for whom the law makes no provision".

Here are some details from their minute books:

"A company of gentlemen having met at the Richmond Coffeehouse, on Saturday, 13th December, 1788, viz.: Alex. Montgomery, John Groves, George Wier, Charles Hopkins, John Graham, and Alexander Buchanan, they resolved to form themselves into a Society, by the name of the Amicable Society of Richmond, on the principles and for the purposes expressed in the Rules, which were then considered and adopted; at the same time, the following gentlemen were considered as members: James Montgomery, Anthony Singleton, George Pickett, Andrew Ronald, Philip Southall, John Cunliffe, and Joseph Higbee.

At a meeting on the 2d May, 1789, the following entry is made on the record of the Society: "It having appeared, by advertisement, that a surplus of a fund arising from a ball on General Washington's birthnight, was to be given to this Society, Mr. AlexanderMontgomery, as a manager of that ball, paid this evening to the treasure, the said surplus, amounting to twenty pounds, sixteen shillings and sixpence."

At this meeting, the following new members were admitted: Thomas Mann Randolph, George Nicolson, and James Brown [Alexander's business partner and more about him later]; and on the 7th November, 1789, James Strange, of Manchester, and Alexander Yuille [presume of Darlieth - quite confusing all the Yuilles, they all seem to have the same first name, but I see that one of them married Patrick Henry's fifth son] - at which time a vote of thanks was given to Alexander Donald for a donation of five pounds.

Now - what I can't work out is if Alexander was blackballed, even though he gave a very generous donation. Dad always had a joke about being blackballed. Someone had not been asked to join a club despite putting his name down, so asked a member - "Blackballed? Just the one?" - The member replied "Caviar". Club jokes – they just get better and better with the telling. That would have got the Quoit Club rolling.

The other house I went to see was slightly newer and was built by John Wickham – another club man of his day. Built in 1812 so I admit that Alexander Donald was tucked up in Chilvers Cotton Church in Nuneaton by this stage, hoping to Rest in Peace until a German bomb blew the church up – and that church couldn't be much further from this style of house. Wickham House is gloriously over the top, with classical friezes all over the house, so the Posh and Becks house of its day. At the very top of the stairs - the centre rose, if that is the right word - looks exactly like the one in Park Terrace spare room to me – except of course that it is white. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take pictures inside of course, so you might have to peer closely at this one to see what I mean. And yes, these stairs are slightly grander than Fancy Farms - but they were in a town house built 40 years later.  

Interiors of Fancy Farm

Glad to say my computer has dried out so I am now back up and running. It had been working, but with a very limited alphabet, which didn't seem to include any vowels which was making writing anything a bit of a challenge.
More interior shots of Fancy Farm in all its glory - those stairs are amazing cutting across the window like that. The bottom picture shows the view of the hill that is in the portrait of BAD - the pile of rubble under the trees is all that remains of the slave quarters. Apparently the Virginia Historical Society has pictures of all the outbuildings and much earlier photographs of the house.

The house has had some other very interesting occupants. During the Civil war, Major General David Hunter, US Army was given the task of capturing Lynchburg, the nearby city - he destroyed parts of Lexington on this way down to Fancy Farm - he then set up HQ at the house. He failed to take Lynchburg. The house at the time was owned by the Kelso family - they are all buried on the property and the owner say that an old neighbour claims that Andrew Donald is buried somewhere next to the road, but they are not sure where.
In 1921 the estate was purchased by Sir George Sitwell, Baronet of Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire for his nephew Captain Herbert Cecil Fitzroy Sitwell who had been gassed during the Great War.

Patrick and I

Was put in touch with an expert on Hanover - the Donald's in American original HQ - and he asked me to a church near Hanover, called Fork Church, on Saturday afternoon. It is their 275th anniversary, so predates any Donald arrival.
As I had been reading and writing so much about Patrick Henry and his involvement with Donald cases on Friday, decided to go and have lunch in the Hanover Tavern, opposite the Hanover Court House. This was a tavern that lawyer and client Alexander must have eaten in - though I doubt they would have had a bloody mary and brunch that I had. Saw Darshell there and we have arranged for the family to go there next week.
The local expert is called Alaistair MacDonald and he told me I would recognise him at Fork Church as he would be wearing a Sinclair tartan tie - not too sure if I know my Sinclair from my Ross, but fortunately there was only one gentleman wearing a tartan tie so easy to spot.
Heard a few very good speeches in the church about its history and the people who have worshiped in their for the last 275 years which were very good - including a talk by a Mr Campbell whose mother had been instrumental in restoring Scotchtown, Patrick Henry's local house.
Suddenly Patrick himself burst in and gave a very good version of the "Give me Liberty" speech which was great - was very excited to catch up with Patrick afterwards and tell him how brilliant it was to see it all brought to life - he was very good.
Aferwards Alaistair very kindly invited me back to the family home for dinner, which was lovely. Incredible library there - with books from different wings of his family dating back from the 18th century, althougth their Wealth of Nations was only a fourth edition. Amazing books - I most coveted an incredible album of Hogarth Prints - a huge book. Normally they have all been chopped up and the individual prints sold off as they are all proper prints, you can see the impression from the plates which I think were done by Thomas Cook. He though it must have dated from 1804 or so when a lot of the books were bought by his family - and was right next to a similar one from Gillray.
Right - have read advice on how to dry out my computer so will go and not use a hair dryer on it. Security pushing me out - but a lot more to follow on Richmond trip, Patrick Henry and of course Fancy Farm.

Donald grave

Slight disaster - have poured water on my laptop so it is drying out at the moment. Am in library and it closes shortly, so it is going to a bit of a picture round up of the last few days. Most annoying as I had so much to say, but I shall return once the laptop is back up and running.

 This is me at Cousin Benjamin Andrew Donald's grave (BAD) in Bedford - he inherited Fancy Farm from his father Andrew Donald, who was the son of William Donald of Greenock.

 BAD was a pillar of the community - and loads more to follow about him once I have dried out. You can see the name at the bottom - DONALD.

 Here is the rear of Fancy Farm - built by Andrew Donald in 1783 on what was then frontier country, just north of Bedford.

And here I am with the present day owner and her son. I was taken up into the attic, where it is said Andrew Donald's wife was murdered by a slave for making him take his shoes off. Apparently from stories I have read before, the blood is still meant to be visible on the floor, but I couldn't see any. The owner suggested it was actually Andrew who murdered his wife and told me that she will not go up into the attic alone. Murder? It's the Greenock wing of the family of course.

Here's the house from the front.

This is on the bottom of the stairs - which are amazing. ATD - Andrew Thomas Donald? Not sure if he was called that - not sure when the habit for middle names came in - but surely a Donald engraving? I shall have Grant Gillmore check out the age of the engraving.

And here is Benjamin Andrew Donald himself, son of Andrew and his murdered wife, with his wife and baby, and sitting in the left hand corner, their sweet dog. That mountain is directly behind Fancy Farm. The family would like me to help them track the original of this painting down, which I try and do. I would love to see the original as well. Any family likeness? His sister Geils returned to Scotland and moved back to the family house in Greenock - where there is an area called Fancy Farm.

Much more to follow on the Donalds of Bedford and interior shots of Fancy Farm. It was certainly that.

Price of chains and slavery

To Richmond first thing on Friday as had several things I wanted to do. First stop was the fantastic Library of Virginia, even more fantastic in my opinion as you can park for free underneath and as long as you come down the stairs at the end of the day to get your ticket stamped, all is well and they let you drive out. It is right in the centre, so a perfect location for my day's plans. 
Went to their reference section to see the Ledgers of Patrick Henry from the 1760s to see if they shed any light on his relationship with Alexander Donald. They did not have the originals - although I got my hands on them later on, and more on that in a bit - but they had a slightly strange copy which is negative - so text in white, page in black. 
And there were all the pages for Alexander Donald - three pages in total of cases which Patrick Henry took on for him. Entries in total: 7 in 1764, 10 in 1765, 5 in 1766, 38 in 1767, 18 in 1768, 3 in 1769 and 4 in 1770. 
I have to admit, for all his great qualities, Patrick's handwriting and book keeping were not his best features. Here's a page to give you an example. 

You can probably just see the fact that it says Alexander Donald at the top. However, there was one line which was quite easy to read. On the left hand page you have what Alexander owes him - and then on the right hand page you have how Alexander pays. 

By your old slave account against me - £52


That you can read, right in the middle. The me is obviously Patrick. 
Now, this is a debate that has obviously been had by much better informed people for many years, but I do still find it worth pointing out - that this is written by the man who was about to say the following in 1775:  
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
But here he is writing down, in a ledger, in his own writing - a fee for exactly that. Purchasing chains and slavery. Again, I know it has been said a million times and there is a quote from Jefferson about holding on to a wolf by its ears which is used to justify how the founding fathers can write: 
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Again, liberty. And then all own slaves. And I know that the Donalds were obviously involved - that's up in the page in black and white, or white and black in that case - but still, a debate which I am sure will go on for years and years, and as Alexander Donald would say "I will not presume to be competent to give an opinion on such a Complex subject". 
I asked the library where the originals were and was told California or some such. However, when I went to my appointment at the Valentine History Centre at noon, there they were. The originals. Obviously a little worn - but I couldn't believe that I was given them but annoyingly they wouldn't let me photograph them although I could photocopy pages, which I found odd as they were so delicate.  
Here I worry about my worship of relics. I remember years ago with mum going to the Medici chapel, or ossuary was it? in Florence, where they had all the bits and pieces of saints in these amazing glass cases. So a thigh bone from a saint here, a piece of hair from another, or of course a piece of the cross. I think around the world St John has 23 thumbs in boxes - presumably the origin of the expression "I'm all thumbs". 
I used to think it crazy that people would worship objects - but I was pretty close when I held these books. These really were a "magic cord" back to far off ages from that last blog. These books were used on a daily basis by Patrick Henry during a time when he was fighting against the Stamp Tax - when he said his quote about treason in 1765. When he won the Parson's Cause for that matter. When everything was building up to the Declaration of Independence and of course the Revolutionary War, in which Patrick was a Colonel. 
I know Patrick Henry doesn't seem to be the most studied or written about founding father, and certainly not the most loved - a point backed up by the ladies who were working in the Valentine that very few people come and see what they have there - but I think he played a much bigger role that he seems to be given credit for. Again, running the risk of presuming to be competent - but I vote for more credit to be given to him. 

Scalp Act

Thursday was spent tying up some loose ends and arranging some trips for the weekend. Then had lunch with Peter Onuf - The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor at UVA. Mr 18th Century Guy from a radio programme he does. Told him about how I had based my talk on his video link I had gone to where he kept talking about context and the so what? factor - so I explained about the context of the rise and fall of the tobacco lords and the so what? as to the Virginia Ratification Convention.
I was talking about the Donalds in America and said "we" which he immediately picked up on as veneration of our ancestors, and said that it was normally Americans who go to Europe to do this - not the other way around. I explained my obvious paranoia that I wasn't just doing genealogical  research, but hoped the picture of Alexander Donald I was building up was a good enough story to interest people out with the Donald clan, and should I change my name to Jamie Douglas or even Jamie Duncan, both of which Andrew at the centre keeps calling me funnily enough, just to stop that? He was very polite and said it was and then gave me some other contacts.
When we left lunch met another history professor with his son so I explained that my children were coming out and asked him what the Trick or Treating was like in the main green of the university. He said it was a bit of a bun fight and his children were traumatised from last year, so he has very kindly asked us to join his family in their neighbourhood, which I am very pleased about.
Then had a phone call from the owner's son from Fancy Farm - and he has invited me down to the house over the weekend, which is great. He is very excited about hearing about the Donald connection to the house and has details of Benjamin Andrew Donald (BAD) who lived there. Apparently there is a huge grave and memorial to BAD so I am going to see that - he died about the same time as CDD1 and they seemed to have had similar careers - both pillars of society etc. There is a portrait of the BAD with his dog, done at Fancy Farm, which the owners would love to track down, so going to see what I can do to help if anything. They have a copy of it, which I can't wait to see - our great cousin Benjamin. Ah, watch out, veneration of our ancestors again!
I had been very tempted to read this quote out to Peter Onuf when talking about looking at the past:
"The antiquarian of the old school collected a heterogeneous group of articles together and valued them, simply because they were old. Now, the mere fact of an article, say a table, a watch, or a sword, being old, gives it no more interest than the mere fact of its being new. What does give it interest is, that the way in which it is fashioned, and the manner in which it was used, throw light on the way of life of the men who used it, and in it we see the germs of similar articles of a later growth. If this be true of a chair or a sword, it is true of a building and truer still of a custom, a trait of manners, or a phase of belief. In studying them, we see ourselves in the making, and unite ourselves to the far-off ages by the magic cord of sympathy." 
I think it is a great quote - especially the last line - and does explain a bit about the study of history to me - but then I realised I couldn't read it out was written by another ancestor Colin Dunlop Donald II funnily enough - in 1894. Surely an excuse to have a picture of the great man in here? 

Looking every bit the young dashing 22 year old he was when this picture was taken. Who said old fogey? How dare you, that's my ancestor! Will not have a word said against him. I can't say anything about him without praising him, no really, so I shall leave off - in terms of generations of family - he is the half way house between me and Thomas Donald, Alexander's brother. 
So came back to Kenwood and decided to do a bit of mud raking to prove this wasn't all about praising ancestors past, but was in a bid to build up a serious picture of how people lived in the 18th century America and how they earned their money. One of the first things I ever found, before I even knew of the existence of Alexander Donald as Donalds past had slightly forgotten about him, was a letter from George Washington to Governor Dinwiddie from 1757 - it is long, but I think it is an amazing record: 

To Governor Dinwiddie Honble Sir,

[Fort Loudoun] May 30th 1757

The Indians are so dissatisfied at Mr Atkins’ delay, that I am obliged to send this Express to beg the favor of your Honor to hurry him up immediately, or to give Orders in what manner the Present shou’d be disposed of, which arrived here two days ago from Mr Donald. If one or the other of these is not done, and in a very short time too; it will not be in my power to prevent their going off full of resentment!

They complain in very opprobious language of the treatment they have received; of there being referred from one to another for the Presents, which ought, according to promise, to have been ready before they left their nation: And, in short, recapitulate a great number of grievances which they say have arisen from the perfidy of our promises.

It is disagreeable to me to repeat this subject to your Honor; but it is necessary you shou’d be informed of the disposition of these people: and it is for this reason only that I mention it in the terms they express themselves to me.

The Indians not being under one direction, is the cause of great expence to the Country; & has other pernicious tendencies. For, as we are strangers to the only proper method of managing them; and all of us being desirous of pleasing them, as knowing their importance—they have been very much indulged, to little purpose. which will ever be the case while they are left to the management of different people.

I therefore beg leave to recommend (not from an inclination to dictate, much less from a disposition to intermeddle, but with due submission) that some person of good sense and probity, with a tolerable share of the knowledge of their customs, be appointed to transact, under your Honors direction, or that of the southern agent, the Indian Affairs of this Colony, of every kind whatever—That a Stock of Goods, suitably chosen, be put into his hand; and that he may have power to reward them occasionally as their services require: Pay them for scalps; provide them with Provisions, arms, clothing, &c.

It appears in a very clear light to me Sir, that, unless something of this sort is done, the Country will be involved in insuperable expence, immense difficulties, and no advantage meanwhile will accrue from the Indians. An Indian will never forget a promise made to him: They are naturally suspicious, and, if they meet with delays, or disappointment, in their expectations; will scarcely ever be reconciled. For which reason, nothing ought ever to be promised but what is performed; and one only person be empowered to do either. If your Honor shou’d think this an advisable measure, and be inclined to carry it into execution, I wou’d beg leave to recommend Mr Gist as the most proper person I am acquainted with to conduct the Business. He knows but little of their language it is true; but is well acquainted with their manners and customs—especially of the southern indians. And, for his honesty & zeal I think I dare vouch.

Now - apart from the obvious interest that Robert Donald - for it was he - was providing goods for this to be given out to the Indians as presents - this letter was written during the Seven Years War, or as it is known here, the French and Indian Wars. This letter was written when France as on the up and was fighting with the Indians against the British. It was a very tense time. I do love the language of Washington - opprobious language, perfidy of our promises, pernicious tendencies, disposition to intermeddle - who can get those expressions into a sentence today? I think I probably have a huge disposition of intermeddle. 

One of the things which had caused the problems had been an expedition against the Indians. In April 1756 Governor Robert Hunter Morris of Pennsylvania (different Robert Morris to Alexander's business associate) declared war on the Delaware and Shawnee Indians - and included in his war declaration was a Scalp Act - which put a bounty on the scalps of Indian men above the age of 12 ($130) and women ($50). The rewards were payable to both friendly Indians - the Iroquois - and to whites. 

Virginia sent out a party under Captain John Smith (not the Capt John Smith, he and Pocahontas were long dead) to fight the Shawnee, or "Shawnese" as they spelt it. Guess who put in an invoice to the House of Burgesses, the ruling house of Virginia at the time, for kitting out this expedition? From their records from Tuesday 4 May 1756: 

Resolved - that is appears to the committee that the said Robert Donald, by order of his honour the Governor [Virginia - so this was Dinwiddie], did supply Capt John Smith with sundry good to the value of £80 2s 6d for the use of the men who marched under the said Captain Smith's command on the Expedition against the Shawnese and that the said Robert Donald did pay to John Pearce, the sum of £9 7s 6d for fifteen days hire of his cart and oxen, to transport the said goods towards Fort Frederick.

Seems a lot of money to me - Oxen hire about the same as car hire in the US now. I see that Fort Frederick is still up and running and has a ghost walk on 23 October "take a walk through the haunted forest, fort and barracks". 

Anyway, from what I can tell, it didn't end up a success. John Smith was captured, a son was killed in front of him and he was eventually taken as a prisoner to France, where he was then sent to England - and apparently helped Pitt by telling him a lot of information about the Indian positions. All a bit confusing as there are so many different reports - one has his son being burnt in front of him, one has him dying on the journey - so I am not sure which one is right, and all of this is not helped by there being another Captain John Smith who was obviously more famous. I will find out just to prove it is not just to Donalds that I pay my respects.