The Donaldsons of 
Co Fermanagh and Co Donegal

Irish & UK
Flags

The Donaldson arrival in Co Donegal from Scotland

The 1630 Muster Rolls do not show any Donaldsons in West Ulster.

However the 1665 Hearth Money Roll records have a Hugh Donelson in Co Donegal, but I have found no link to my family.

1796 Spinning Wheel lists show Donaldsons
Donegal  Donaghmore - (William) & Upper Moville - (James) 
Fermanagh  Aghalurcher - (John & Robert).
Cavan Kilsherdney [Killashandra] (Robert)

The earliest Donaldson recorded in Teetunney old Graveyard near Belleek was an Andrew Donnellson (as spelt) who served in one of Sir James Caldwell's military units in 1706 - so the Donaldsons may have been there, gone away and returned

The Tithe Applotment Books of 1832 have a John Donaldson in the Parish of Belleek - townland of Rathmore next to the riverside section of Belleek Main Street. John Donaldson and Elizabeth Knox also had a daughter Mary born in 1835 in the Parish of Belleek. This is very close to their later residence of Cloghore where I have Donaldson records from 1857 in Griffiths Evaluation - John and George

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.

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

The arrival of the Donaldsons in Cloghore is not clear but the family are known to have been in Glenfinn from 1793 - Samuel Donaldson was born in that year - which would point to William with the Spinning Wheel allocation in Donaghmore in 1796.

See the following page for the Glenfinn descent.

Donaldson Cloghore Descent				John Donaldson, born 1777, Farmer & Miller married Elizabeth Knox, around 1820. Her father was William Knox a farmer
The next generation:-

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 C of I 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

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