Captain
John
Donelson
Sr.
Born about in British Isles
Ancestors 
Son of Patrick Donaldson
and Jean (Given) Givan
Husband of
Catherine (Davies) Donelson
— married
about 1716 in of, Newcastle, DE
Descendants 
Father of
Mary (Donelson) Henry and John Donelson Jr.
Died before
before about age 41
in At Sea
Profile managers:
Bob Brodie 
[send private message], Pam Ellis [send private message], and Merilee Burton [send private message]
[send private message], Pam Ellis [send private message], and Merilee Burton [send private message]Profile last modified
| Created 28 Dec 2013
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Biography
The first mention of John Donelson is in 1716 when he purchased a transported Jacobite rebel. These 54 Jacobite rebels embarked at Liverpool England July 14, 1716 on the "Goodspeed"[1] and were sold in the Maryland Colony[2] October 26, 1716.[3]
March 22, 1724. Both John and his wife Catherine, aka Katherine, (Davies) Donelson witnessed the will of his sister Jean (Donelson) McKean [4] [5]
September 20, 1725. John is mentioned in will of his father, Patrick Donelson's [6] [7] He was present when the inventory of the estate was taken in early 1726..
March 16th, 1724, John Donelson brings suite against Roger Nicholson, Jr, for slander; the jury convicted Nicholson and awarded damages to Capt. John Donelson, Mariner.
1728. He appears as witness in Somerset Co., MD Wills of Robert Hudson and Benjamin Burton. [8]
1730. Sloop belonging to John Donelson, of Maryland, bound for North Carolina, was lost 9 Sept, on Cape Henry Virginia (source typed submission; need to see original or another source to check "1730" date). [9]
21 Jan 1733. Dr. Samuel Davis (son of Samuel) and wife Naomi of Accomack Co.. Virginia. sold to John Donelson, mariner, 220 acres of "Beyond Expectation". ("John Donelson's wife was Catherine Davis, dau of Samuel Davis.") [10]
1 Jul 1733 john Donelson, Bogerternon Hd., Somerset Co., MD, 471 acres (HH, dependents being William Tustin, Lazarus Davis, William Hamelton, Nicholas Kelley) [11].
1735 Debt Books John Donelson, p580 24 May 1739 "Catherine Donelson, relict of John" gave Lott #6/Deep Landing Lott in Snow Hill Town to her children. To daughter Mary Donelson largest house and 2/3s and to son John Donelson lesser house and 1/3). p581 (This property conveyed to Catherine by Abraham Smith on 17 Mar 1736, p580.)[12]
10 Feb 1736 Inventory of the Estate of John Donelson, Somerset Co. MD [13]
Sources
- ↑ ancestry.com/~tornabene Convict ships Indent: Goodspeed Embark, Liverpool, July 14, 1716.
- ↑ Provincial Court Land Records, 1709-1719 Volume 720, Page 405 to 407.
- ↑ ancestry.com/~tornabene Goodspeed Passenger Sale. Maryland October 26, 1716.
- ↑ PREROGATIVE COURT WILLS 1723-1726 Book: WD 1 Will of Jean (Donelson) McKean. Devised: March 22, 1724. Proved: November 25, 1724.
- ↑ Maryland Calendar of Wills, v5, p181 [18.322]
- ↑ PREROGATIVE COURT WILLS 1723-1726 Book: WD 1 Will of Patrick Donelson. Devised: September 20, 1725. Proved: November 2, 1725.
- ↑ Maryland Calendar of Wills, v5, p214 [18.455]
- ↑ Maryland Calendar of Wills, v6, p75.
- ↑ usgwarchives Benjamin Franklin's "PHILADELPHIA GAZETTE", per Williamsburg Dispatch of 3 Oct 1730.
- ↑ Ruth T Dryden, Land Records of Worcester County. Maryland:1666-1810, Family Line Publications, Westminster (MD).1992, p60, "Beyond Expectation".
- ↑ 1733 Tax List; Somerset County, Maryland, compiled by Wilmer O. Lankford, Manokin Press, Princess Anne (MD), 1992, p12
- ↑ Ruth T Dryden, Land Records of Worcester County. Maryland:1666-1810, Family Line Publications, Westminster (MD).1992,pp580-1.
- ↑ Maryland State Archives. Inventories, Vol. 22, 1736-1737.
- Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999: Inventories: JW 15,1688-1742 - JW 8-9, 1743-1788. Images (unindexed) at FamilySearch.org. Images 71. [1]. Accessed 30 Sept 2019
- Inventory of PATRICK DONALDSON, Somerset county
- Date: 30 February 1725/26
- Value of estate £31.s.14.d.2
- Appraisers: Joseph Venables, Robt. Givan
- Nearest of kin: J. Donelson, Katherin Steward
- Greatest creditors: Thomas Harney, Samuel Davis
- "June ye 20th 1726. Then came Jean Donaldson and made Oath…"
See Also:
- AIS PED CHART: shows him died 1736. son of Patrick Donelson.
- Maryland, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1772-1890.
- U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900.
- The Original Scots Colonists of Early America, 1612-1783. DOBSON, DAVID. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1989. 370p. John Donaldson listed as arriving in Maryland in 1711. On Ancestry.com with no other info (baptism date, parents names, etc). Anyone who has this book please message Pam Ellis if it contains additional information.
- Ancestry.com Millennium File
- http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=591f5ee7-6dd7-4cfd-b81e-2a9ad004206b&tid=18451679&pid=51 (unable to load media)
Acknowledgements
- Any help on sorting out the inconsistencies is appreciated. Ellis-7333 14:51, 4 July 2015 (EDT)
- Donelson-149 was created by Robert Brodie through the import of Walter Scott Brodie Family Tre.ged on Aug 19, 2014.
- Thank you to Merilee Burton for creating WikiTree profile Donelson-114 through the import of burton[1].ged_2013-12-25.ged on Dec 26, 2013.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with John by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with John:
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with John by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with John:
-
~0.78%
Ida (Simmons) Goodrich
:
AncestryDNA, GEDmatch A204071 [compare], Ancestry member littlenunnyhoney3
-
~0.39%
Washington Currey :
AncestryDNA
-
~0.39%
Jennifer Goodrich :
AncestryDNA, GEDmatch A926022 [compare], Ancestry member JBONAMO1954
-
~0.39%
Ronald Robinson :
AncestryDNA, GEDmatch NF9800003 [compare], Ancestry member Systip
-
~0.39%
~3.12%
J. A. Gentile :
AncestryDNA, GEDmatch A102662 [compare], Ancestry member gentileja
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Featured National Park champion connections: John is 13 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 21 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 13 degrees from George Catlin, 11 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 20 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 16 degrees from George Grinnell, 24 degrees from Anton Kröller, 16 degrees from Stephen Mather, 21 degrees from Kara McKean, 15 degrees from John Muir, 15 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 23 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Thanks for bringing all of this to light. When you move on to the merges of the Andrew Donelson profiles, that will be the beginning of the presidential line of Andrew Jackson. Robin Lee, leader of the Presidents Project is aware of the work and will assist if needed.
Eric has them all proposed according to the lowest number correct LNAB.
Thanks for all the research and the fantastic images of original records which allow us to have the accurate dates and information needed to sort these families.
Once again, the Southern Colonies project is in your debt.
Paula
The Elizabeth Donaldson asked about with the runaway Convict was the widow of Reverend John Donaldson, her will is in Liber BTR book 30 folio 170 year 1756.
Additionally, this record in THE KINGS PASSENGERS TO MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA, BY PETER WILSON COLDHAM: May 1748; Elizabeth Donaldson reports a runaway felon, Robert Tonge. Somerset County, MD. Who is Elizabeth? How does she belong to this John? The MD Gazette 1727 - 1761: Elizabeth Donaldson, living in ST. MARYs County, at the Head of the Choptank, reports a runaway convict servant man named Robert Tonge, about age 30. Somerset/St Marys - multiple plantations like John Cheney who bought Thomas Donaldson? You are attributing that purchase record to this John Donelson. May be correct, but we don't know for sure yet.
John Donelson did not arrive as a Jacobite Rebel prisoner and nor did his father Patrick. John Donelson purchased a Jacobite Prisoner as an indentured slave in 1716 (first page) his name is on page 3 at right in the list of Purchasers. All the prisoners arrived 1716 on the ship "Good speed" via Liverpool.