Rockefeller Library - Post Revolution

Once again - an amazing collection of material concerning the Donalds. I started in the 1780s with the John Norton and Sons Collection. A family who basically never threw anything away and were traders in Virginia and London like Alexander Donald. If you want to know what was on the Donald ships when they were coming across to America, this is the place to go.
Here is the Captains signed report on what was on the good ship Amelia - one of ours - with a quick list of goods on it on a lovely receipt - all signed by the good Captain John Fisher Throckmorton

But it that isn't detailed enough for you - and I admit this may only appeal to the more serious social historians - here is Alexander's complete breakdown of the shipment. Complete with what was going where on the ship and how it was being packaged. We were basically using our ship to bring out a load of stuff for the Nortons. 

To me this is bringing history alive and letting the past speak to us and everything else we see at all the re-enactments. Not sure how by reading this we will understand our future - but it sure as anything shows me how people were living by what they were buying. The list goes on and on obviously as you can see, and includes stationery, cheese, playing cards, medicines, paints, shot, pewter, shoes, porter - Thomas Pinkerton - 2 casks, candles, mercury, books, pickles, 3 barrels of gunpowder, stockings, gloves, trimmings, snuff boxes.

Then for William Hood and Co - the cast iron specialists of the day - they had on Amelia - 55 tea kettles; 16 pair dogs - I presume fire dogs; 90 skillets; 45 camp ovens and 366 potts - one for each day of the year give or take. Then at the end of the second letter all the other costs and commissions - including insurance at £48. This is how it all worked and what we were doing - we sent out good one way and we filled up with tobacco the other way.

Few other letters about Alexander - a couple probably quite illustrative of the man:

Williamsburg 11 April 1786 - a Norton is chasing up someone who owes him money - in fact he needs the money for Donald for shipping stuff across in the Amelia for him.
"you very pointedly stipulated to pay me for the goods and asked until after their arrival and I must insist on speedy payment, Mr Donald by whom the goods were received is exceedingly pressing on me, very much so indeed. This compels me to call on you also otherwise I should with real pleasure grant you every indulgence."

Goes on for sometime about how pressing Mr Donald is. Most rude. We bring your skillets over - you pay. Simple as that

Here's a much earlier one - in fact before the Revolutionary War - about to come to other earlier ones - but can put this one in here. Robert Cater Nicolas is writing to W Harrison - they are trying to come up with a new way to print the Virginia Pound that will not be open to counterfeit - "In my last I informed you of the misfortune this country had met with in having its two last empressions of paper money so ingeniously counterfeited that the most knowing has been imposed upon .... Mr Alexander Donald has recommended to me one Dr William of Edinburgh as the most exquisite type founder in the world. Mr Donald is well known to you and I'm sure he will be kind enough to give you any assistance in his power."

An early Donald fascination with type faces - see, it's in the blood! The past speaks to all of us.