I still can't believe how much of a paper trail one life can leave behind from the 18th century. Alexander Donald was just the son of a merchant from Glasgow, and was a merchant himself although not nearly as successful as his father. He never held high office - baillie of Glasgow was the peak of his career I suppose - yet so many documents and letters concerning him still exist.
From these it is possible to illustrate his life - and I know I have been through this over and over again - but it was quite an amazing life when you consider the times that he lived through and who he came into contact with. I knew about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George III and James Watt before I came out to America - but to hold the ledger of Patrick Henry full of references to Alexander was a very exciting discovery, which led on to my claim that Thomas Jefferson wrote to Alexander from Paris about the Constitution knowing he would give it to Patrick Henry who would use it against James Madison, which happened. Said it before - but I feel rather sorry for the revolutionary firebrand Patrick Henry - he seems rather ignored, and his father was from Aberdeen after all. Not sure why there seems to be such indifference towards him - I think he was a great catalyst for the Revolution. Whilst Jefferson wrote amazing things - you were hardly going to follow him into battle.
Letters and documents I have found in the US and of course in the UK also illustrate the highs and lows of Alexander's life and the different locations he lived in illustrate the exciting life he led - remember he was the youngest of four and was orphaned by the age of 14 - and his elder sister died the following year. Not a good start to things. Presume he was born at Lyleston, then family moved to Geilston, Cardross; Glasgow; inheriting a fortune at 14; travelling across the Atlantic in a Donald ship many times; Hanover Town/Page's; jovial days with Jefferson; using his neighbour Patrick Henry as his lawyer; Court of St James to kiss the king's hand; Albermale; Williamsburg; Richmond, Virginia; weekending with Washington at Mount Vernon; lived in Paper Buildings,Temple and at Winchester Street whilst in London - here's his entry from the London directory - not sure which Robert Donald that was:
Hogmanay at King's Bench Prison in 1800 and stayed on for six months - here's the entry for that:
But these are just the bones of the story, his letters I discovered in America help bring the 18th century and indeed, Alexander, to life. Alexander writing to a mother back in Scotland about her boys' progress in America "I expect to be in Edinburgh about the middle of next month on my return to London, I will thank you to give me such directions as will enable me to find your house, as I am very anxious to pay my respects to the mother of such promising and discerning children." This was to Mrs Brown and we know how that was to end.
Alexander writing thank you letters and inviting people to stay: "I shall expect the pleasure of your company at my house when you come here - I have a bed at your service and you will I hope find yourself intirely at home - I beg my comps to your mother". Alexander always banging on about having people over for a glass of punch.
Alexander's health was something I never knew he suffered for until last week. One of his letters he says he will travel to Hanover Court and then on to Louisa Court - "if I am well". Then in a letter in the William Lee Letterbook, held in the Virginia Historical Society written to Alexander in 1786:
"I congratulate you on the happy success of your expedition to the springs and hope that your health is now so firmly established that you will not again be reduced to the necessity of making so disagreeable a Journey."
Then really illustrating the Donald life in America - the ledgers which show what the Donalds were buying at the time. Here's a picture of Robert Donald's account with Captain William Dabney, taken in the Virginia Historical Society.
So what do I think of Alexander? I have read enough of his letters etc. Bit of a snob and name dropper - .here's Alexander in a letter to Jefferson: "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."
Could be quite rude to his friends: "and tho you pass by my door frequently, yet I will behave more civilly to you" - which I think is quite a put down. Most of the time struggling to keep business afloat and not above stooping to quite sneaky tactics to get his way in business:
"Pray does not Mr William Duval owe you a good deal of money? I hope you will pardon me for asking the question, my reason for doing so is that a few days ago I heard him say he had received advices from England of his having recovered 14 or £15,000 - which he says he wants to draw for, it immediately struck me that this would be a proper time for you to urge him for payment if any money he may owe you." Little sneak. Alexander then volunteers to go round and get the money for Mr Jerdone.
The Jerdone family papers have lots of great material in them - my favourite is about the four chariot horses that Mr Jerdone ordered through Donald and Burton from London. All ends up badly and Jerdone sues them for being so rubbish about their delivery - I think the clue that things hadn't gone so well are probably in the first line of Alexander's letter:
"About an hour after Mr Macaulay went from here yesterday the groom arrived with your three horses. They appear very strong, but in low order ... I inclose you the bill for the groom's maintenance alone for ten days, which is no less than the scandalous sum of £5.5 - I have given him a sever scold about it, grog and rum swells the account - one day it is four shillings. from this specimen of his sobriety I question much if he will answer you, indeed white servants do not suit this country and I do not apprehend that you are under any necessity of keeping him."
Yet another case that drags on and on - at least six weeks between each message - loads of letters from Robert Burton in London explaining that they had booked a ship for passage and told the captain nothing else was to go into the hold, they hired a good "sober groom", but when he got to Gravesend, he found the stables he had built in the ship had been taken down and the ship was now full of earthenware, so he refused to go as it wasn't fair on the horses - hence I presume the drunk groom was hired. Every now and again letters from Alexander not really helping - trying to get the money in the gentlemanly way I wrote about in an earlier post: "by this intend to remind you of the balance you owe to Donald and Burton (which I am confident would have been paid long ago, had it been convenient to you.)"
My overall impression of Alexander at the moment is that he would have been very good company - especially at dinner - and as long as you didn't have to rely on him for anything, or he didn't want something from you which he would go on and on and on about, just like another Alexander Donald I happen to know when he wants something - he was a good friend to have. On the down side, don't really like the way that he was quite so vindictive towards the Browns by selling the land he had promised to them in Richmond in 1804 and he wasn't particularly nice to his son James Donald either in 1806:
“I give and bequeath my son James Donald who I now believe to be resident in the Island Jamaica the sum of five shillings. The undutiful behaviour of my said son James toward me is the reason why I have withheld from him an equal share of my property with my other children.”
But the 1800s were not kind to Alexander - as stated above, not helped by spending Hogmanay in 1800 being admitted to prison - and things didn't really improve. He died in 1808.
Th: Jefferson takes the liberty of presenting Mr. Pinkney the bearer hereof Alexander Donald esq. one of his youthful friends and found a constant one, even unto the end. He long resided in Virginia, is now established in London, and Th: Jefferson will be responsible to Mr. Pinkney that any esteem he may honor him with, will be worthily placed.
Here is the letter itself, with Jefferson's signature:
"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
So Alexander can't have been all bad - and there it is, preserved for evermore in Richmond, Virginia having made the trip from Philadelphia to London and back to America again. Can't say enough how fantastic I think the libraries and centres are that I have visited are:
- University of Virginia (UVA) special collections library - home of Capt. James Donald's book and a recipient's copy of a Jefferson to Alexander Donald;
- UVA also home to the great microfilm library that I spend many a happy hour locked in the basement - and where I found the Alexander Hamilton letters including the one from his father that talks about Mr Donald ;
- The Valentine in Richmond - where the Patrick Henry ledger books are kept and the document from the Mayor of London in 1804 about Alexander selling part of Richmond and finally severing all links with the Browns;
- The Rockefeller in Colonial Williamsburg - loads of Donald business material here;
- the Library of Virginia in Richmond - again loads of material in here, and home to the Colonial Project which covers the Donald Loyalist claims etc - and loads more to be uncoverred about Alexander in Richmond;
- the Swem Library at William and Mary College in Williamsburg - amazing collection of Alexander Donald original letters in here;
- the Jefferson library at Kenwood;
- And of course the Virginia Historical Society (VHS), where I am pictured above. Home to lots of "neat stuff" - and the letters from Robert Morris to Alexander Donald.
The other part of my research which I have really enjoyed, but which I want to do a lot more on is learning about BAD - Benjamin Andrew Donald. Such a great opportunity to get into Fancy Farm where his father lived (and his mother was murdered!) and from this discovered some letters from him and his wife in the VHS collection. His wife's ones are mostly about health - but in his he is sharing fairly robust views on the future for ex slaves after the civil war. I think from these we can definitely confirm that he as the same BA Donald who put in a design for the confederate flag. Colin is in the Mitchell Library at the moment reading about BAD's second cousin - Colin Dunlop Donald (CDD1) - and his involvement with the West India Association after the end of slavery for the UK. Must also try and track down BAD's portrait.
That reminds me - must also chase up William and Mary College - left them a note when I was there about Alexander introducing Rev James Madison, their President - to Granville Sharp - the anti-slave campaigner in 1791. They are very interested about the college's involvement with slavery.
Surely an excuse to put in that quote from Jefferson's last letter to Alexander again?
Come then, since you cannot have 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. Only do not be too long in thinking yourself rich enough for retirement; otherwise we may both first make our great retirement to where there is neither soupe nor wine, and where we are told that neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. From this the lord preserve us both for many good years, and have us always in his holy keeping.
Adieu.
Regrets from the trip? That I never found a portrait of Alexander. I am sure his vanity would have led him to have one, actually, knowing him, many more, painted. We have portraits of his uncle, his father, his brother, his nephew - but where is his portrait? It must be there somewhere. Was hoping to find it over the fireplace at Monticello, probably dressed in a toga, as I bet he and Jefferson liked to dress up with their worship of all things classical, reliving their jovial days in Hanover Town. Didn't see it.
Also regret that never tracked down the missing letter from Alexander to Jefferson - the last letter he wrote to him - and the one that "closed" the correspondence. I went right to the top to try and find that - to Princeton, but they said unlikely I would ever find it. I still hold out hope though! Maybe there is a copy in Scotland that Alexander kept - we must get into the family attics and see what is there. We must have more about Alexander hidden away in boxes at home.
Wish I could have had more time in America of course - I am never happier than when in a library rummaging through a box of papers not knowing what I might find and so much more I could have looked through - but of course that regret is obviously offset with the knowledge that I have just had the most amazing opportunity and I am incredibly grateful to the ICJS for giving me the fellowship, and also incredibly grateful to my family for also giving me the chance to go off and do what I did. Very indulgent! And how fantastic that we were all able to get together in Virginia - here are the Donalds in November 2010 in America at Tufton Farm.
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