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.