Constant Friend

Another highlight of the Virginia Historical Society was to find the letter of introduction, written by Thomas Jefferson, introducing Thomas Pinckney to Alexander Donald in 1792. I have read the text before, but never seen - or of course held - the original before. Colin was with me, so I am afraid we did take pictures of me holding the letter, which I will add on later.
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. 
I have always loved this letter - as it seems such a genuinely warm letter of introduction and it showed that Alexander was more than just a business associate of Jefferson's and that their friendship was long standing. Jefferson enclosed a copy of this in a letter he sent to Alexander, in which he also wrote:
He is a good man to whom it is addressed, and he is himself the bearer of it.
Alexander was not in London when the letter arrived, but was in Glasgow, so replied:
I had much pleasure in receiving your letter of the 8th. June, and I beg you will accept of my thanks for the warm and Friendly introduction to Mr. Pinckney. I shall certainly wait upon that Gentleman as soon as I return to London. 
Thomas Pinkney was the Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of St James - or US Ambassador. Although born in South Carolina, he was educated at Westminster and Oxford, and then a stint at the French Military Academy at Caen. Returned to the America in 1774. Distinguished military record during the Revolutionary War, although captured by the British at the Battle of Camden in 1780. Released on prisoner exchange and in 1781 fought under Lafayette in Virginia. Here is the dashing captain.

Ended up standing with John Adams against Jefferson in the Presidential election.

Plaid hose

Spent part of Tuesday in Richmond in the Virginia Historical Society, which is a fantastic place and very good to go back there as it was one of the first places I visited at the start of the trip which was only a few weeks ago, but seems like much longer. Loads more to be found there - including the account book of William Dabney - who ran his business next to Page's or Hanover Town. There is a Dabney's Mill just over the river from there.
Robert Donald had a huge account with him - the first entry I noticed from him was for two beavers - which was obviously not the real life thing - but I presume beaver skin hats. Then found pages and pages of what Robert Donald was buying in the 1750s in America to make his stay in the colonies more comfortable - loads of silk hankies, nutmeg, ink powder, buttons of all descriptions, yards and yards of cloth - and in 1753 what any Scot abroad should not be seen without, some plaid hose. From a quick google, I see that George Washington, visitor to Robert Donald's house at this exactly time, that he ordered plaid hose in 1765. Can we claim responsibility for that? Actually, disappointingly, I see that plaid hose, despite their name, may not have been patterned.
However, here is the portrait of Robert Donald again - obviously quite a dandy - and this is backed up by all his shopping requirements.

You can see why he needed to order buttons all the time.
When Robert left America in 1758 with Dinwiddie and his family, he went back to Glasgow and threw himself into local affairs - rising to Provost of Glasgow. Here are some Victorian reports on Robert Donald:
“Robert Donald of Mountblow was Lord Provost in the disastrous years of 1776 and 1777, when the revolt of the American colonies brought so much misery and ruin on the trade of Glasgow. By the promptitude and forethought of the worthy Provost and his associates in office, much was done to alleviate the general distress. He was unwearied in his endeavours at the time times to procure some mitigation of the crisis, the pressure of which was greatly intensified by the restrictions of the Corn Laws.”
However, the Victorians also made the point that it wasn't all work, work, work - there was time for the jolly fellows to head out for some punch etc:

“Glasgow, 26 January, 1778 - A procession was made by the magistrates, in their formalities, with the city colours, drums, fifes and pipes – young gentlemen of the city acting as drummers, fifers etc, followed by the town clerks, the council, and the deacons of the trades and closed with the Cap Club – their sovereign in his regalia on his head. The company dined at the Saracen Head [an inn in the city’s Gallowgate]; and in the evening (after a good libation of punch) made a second procession with flambeaux, bonfires, illuminations and ringing of bells etc. What a set of jolly fellows in those days our magistrates and other officials have been – their names ought to be handed down to posterity. Here they are: Provost Robert Donald….etc”

As we now know, it wasn't to end well for Robert. His debtors all met in a vintners in Glasgow in 1787 to discuss the fact that Robert was bankrupt. However, they very kindly made sure that he wasn't left out in the cold - and he was given a job overseeing the dredging of the Clyde. 

History does not relate what happened to his beaver hats. They would have cut a dash in Glasgow. 

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.