The Donaldsons of 
Co Fermanagh and Co Donegal

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Historical Notes

He had 2 known sons John born 1777 and Samuel born about 1792.

John moved to near Belleek, Co Fermanagh and Samuel stayed at Welshtown, Co Donegal - 50 kms apart.

John's son  - (John,  b 10/08/1838) - married Samuel's daughter - (Hannah b 22 Jan 1834) - in 1857

Under the terms of the Plantation, the joint parishes of Glenfin and Stranorlar were divided into three Manors of 2000 acres each, one of which, Drumboe, swelled to 32,000 acres with the enclosures of the following century. Glenfin became the Manor of Corlecky and was first granted to Sir Thomas Cornwall of Salop, Chamberlain to Prince Henry.

Cornwall sold to a Welsh family named Davis

Captain Nicholas Pynnar's Survey 1618 AD of the Land Grants Given in 1608, Barony of Raphoe tells that the Davises had complied with the terms of the Plantation. They had erected at Welshtown "a bawn of stone and clay, rough-cast with lime, having two flanking towers and a stone house on it".

They had also "planted the place" with 32 families of Welsh extraction - capable of supplying the king with 54 men-at-arms.

Many descendants of these Welsh families, the Griffiths, Davises, Griffins, Glynns, Leepers, Martins etc. still reside in the locality, though few of them may realise their associations with the rise of "the Welshtown".

Historical Notes for Donaldsons of Cloghore

John - my 2nd great grandfather born 1777, moved to near Belleek and the family converted to Methodism .

Then in 1832 the Tithe Applotment Books show John Donaldson in the townland of Rathmore, Parish of Belleek -  - this townland is next  to the riverside section of Belleek Main Street. This was my 2nd great grandfather who married Elizabeth Knox about 1820

John and Elizabeth had a daughter Mary born in 1834 in the Parish of Belleek.

This is very close to their later residence of Cloghore shown in 1857 in Griffiths Evaluation.In the House & Field Books used in preparation for the Griffith Valuation  - held at National Archives, Dublin - the Field Book for Cloghore showed on 17/04/1837 -  John  Donaldson had a house, offices, corn mill and kiln valued at £6.

Griffiths Kilbarron 1857 notes George Donaldson Cloghore renting from William Johnston, a herds house, about 14 acres of land as well as a house, outbuildings, a corn-mill and a kiln.

Also a Robert Donaldson had House Office and Land at Bellanadohy Belleek and Office and Land at Graffy Belleek, both leased from John C Bloomfield - the properties would both have been within a mile of Belleek on the Kesh side of the village.

The Will of my 2nd great grandfather of Cloghore, Kilbarron,Co Donegal

John Cunningham, Belleek historian told me that the mill/s were probably on the southern bank - beside the  old Donaldson home - since the river swings around to the right here and the force of the water is along the southern bank. The Pottery had to make a cutting from about a hundred yards above the factory to get a water channel to feed the Pottery wheel - it being on the northern bank of the river

An elderly  Belleek resident remembers Donaldson's mill - now demolished - the homestead was a  long thatched house and was beside the Creamery

Lowe's Directory 1880 shows Belleek as having Mrs Donaldson, general dealer

1901 Census shows that Hannah owned 3 houses in Cloghore apart from her own.

An old story in the Belleek area - the Donaldsons sheltered a priest at some period in history - and the priest told them that Belleek would never be without a Donaldson

A Rev John Donaldson, son of William Donaldson, a farmer, resided at Brookhill Belleek. This may be the Brookhill that is situated close to the Border just in Fermanagh on the road to Pettigo. There is an old Rectory type house about 100 yards from the roadside about 300 yards from the Letter River which separates Fermanagh and Donegal.

I do not know of a connection with my family - he was Presbyterian - Donaldsons were Church of Ireland then Methodist.

Rev Donaldson died on 30/10/1891

Reference to Rev John which I have found:-

Slater's Directory 1856 - Pettigo shows Rev. John Donaldson,

National Schools 1863 In Omagh District Tyrone - Aghalane Bodoney Upper - Managers F W Barton Esq &
Rev J Donaldson Pettigo

Rev John Donaldson of Pettigo Fermanagh Ireland was the Presbyterian Minister who officiated at the marriage of James Shute in 28/05/1851 - the groom was a resident of Rossharbour

Rev John married twice. He was a widower when he married Elizabeth Maxwell on 25/11/1868 in Drumlegagh Presbyterian Church Ardstraw Tyrone. She was born in Drumlegagh and was the daughter of Joseph Maxwell, a farmer.

They had the following children:-

Alice M - she married a Mr Waddell
Mary Baxter  - there exists a family deed box relating to Mary Baxter Donaldson of Pettigo
Margaret A            Elizabeth Harper            William Joseph            Andrew James