1815
WILL OF WILLIAM DONALDSON
In the name of God Amen I William Donaldson of Freduff Parish of Creggan and County of Armagh
being of sound understanding Do Will and bequeath my Chattle and Freehold
property in the following way and manner viz ~ I Will that after my Death
the whole of my Funeral expenses and the whole of my lawful debts shall
be paid by my Executors hereafter mentioned out of the products of my
Freehold or Chattle property as they may now be, Secondly I Will that
my Executors as soon as they conveniently can after my decease shall dispose
of by legal Sale to the best advantage the whole of the Freehold and Chattle
property of which I may die possessed, and the money arising from the
sale thereof, I Will to be disposed of in the following manner. The Interest
arising one half of the product of said sales I will to be paid year and
yearly by my Executors unto my beloved wife Barbara Donaldson during the term of her natural Life, and at the expiration
of her natural Life I Will the said moiety of which Barbara Donaldson
shall have been receiving the interest of unto my daughter Elizabeth Donaldson provided she shall survive the said Barbara Donaldson Her Mother. In case
Eliza Donaldson shall not survive Her Mother then the said moiety of which
Barbara Donaldson shall have been receiving the Interest of shall go share
and share alike unto the children of said Eliza Donaldson provided she
have any. In case she have none then the said moiety shall be divided
among my Nephews and Nieces in the following manner, that shall be there
in living viz, George Washington Donaldson to receive double the proportion of
said moiety that shall fall to the share of each Nephew and Niece then
in existence. It being shared equally among them with the exception of
Samuel Dunn who
is to receive no part of my property whatever. Thirdly I will that the
other half arising from the Sales of my Freehold and Chattle Property
shall be paid by my Executors unto my daughter Eliza Donaldson when she
shall have arrived at the age of 21 years or at the time of her marriage
which ever may take place first, farther provided My Daughter Eliza Donaldson
die before She arrives at the age of Twenty one years and unmarried then
it is my Will that the Interest arising from the moiety to which she would
have been entitled shall be paid by My Executors to her mother Barbara
Donaldson during her natural Life, after which I Will that it be divided
among my Nephews and Nieces who shall then be in living in the manner
and way already stated respecting the division of the moiety the interest
of which My Wife Barbara Donaldson is to receive in her Own Right during
her Natural Life. Forthly it is my Will that the two Hundred Pounds which
my Brother-in-Law Andrew Bradford promised me shall be paid by him to
my daughter Eliza Donaldson either at her Marriage of when she shall have
arrived at the age of Twenty-one years. Fifthly I do nominate and appoint
Mr. Alexander Donaldson of Philipstown and Andrew Bradford of Cavananore
both of the County of Louth and Mr. John Moffit of Freduff County Armagh My Trustees
and Executors to see this My Will Truly and Impartially executed, and
I do hereby Revoke and Remove (?) all former Wills and Testaments confessing
this to be the only true one, dated this twentieth day of November one
Thousand and eight Hundred and fifteen.
Signed Sealed
and published by the above
_____(?)
William Donaldson in the
presence
of the Testator and of each other
N.S. Mac___(?)
Joseph Andrew Neilson
John Jackson
William Donaldson
William DONALDSON (1768-1815). He married Barbara [Bradford] 1783 -1865, both are buried at Freeduff. William was chairman and leader of the United Irishmen in Tullyvallen and Tullynaval and attended Freeduff Presbyterian Church.
Per the Belfast Newsletter 18 Sep 1797. Armagh Assizes. The Assizes ended the 14th instant at which the following persons were tried before the Right Hon. Lord Yelverton and the Hon. Judge Chamberlaide ... David Lawson, William Donaldson and Arthur Clark were indicted for high treason, but their trials were put off until the next assizes. Belfast Newsletter 30 Mar 1798.
Monaghan Assizes. On the 19th instant, the Monaghan Assizes were opened before the Hon. Justice Downes and Baron George, when the following persons were brought to trial ...William Donaldson and Alex Clark also indicted last Assizes for high treason were discharged under the Habeus Corpus Act. ..?
Evidently this did not deter William Donaldson from his work and the Court record
shows he was busy the next month. Jul 12, 1798. The court met this day to adjournment and proceeded to the trial of William Craig, Thomas Craig and James Hall, confined by William Barker, Esq., a magistrate, for stealing a gun. William Lowden of Camley, near Newtownhamilton, being duly sworn, says that in Apr 1797 as near as he can recollect, two men came to his father's house, to wit, the prisoners William Craig and James Hall. ..that he was in bed, and his brother came to him and said two men wanted him to join them in the United business, which he declined, and said he would rather quit the country. His brother went out of the house and returned with the two prisoners. The prisoner then asked him where he intended to go and told him he could not go ...that they told him if he did not go with them it would be too late, for the French were in the country and all the King's stores would be seized before 10 o'clock that morning. After that he got up from his bed and put on his clothes. William Craig brought a book to him. ..and swore him a United Irishman. That they made him make a roll of
the names of the men they had sworn in that morning, to the number of 14 or 16 men.
The prisoner said they were going to return the men to William Donaldson of Cloghog,
near Newtownhamilton, as he was their leading man. SOURCE: Irish Edition of Alexander ban Donaldson. p295-6.
In Rev. McCombe's Seatholders List is Elder William Donaldson of near Freeduff, but
whose residence was in Cloghoge Townland.
TGF Patterson transcription: Underneath this stone lieth the remains of William Donaldson of Freeduff who departed this life on the 30th day of November 1815 aged 47 years. Also the body of Barbara his affectionate wife and faithful widow who departed March 31st 1865 aged 82 years. Them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Freeduff
is a townland of 303 acres in the Parish of Creggan in Co. Armagh.
Barbara DONALDSON née Barbara BRADFORD (1783-1865)
Elizabeth DONALDSON (1806-1851). She died at Bloomfield place, Dublin. SEE: Her Will.
George Washington DONALDSON. I have placed his as a son of Alexander & Elizabeth DONALDSON. This placement is mostly based on a hunch.
Samuel DUNN. I would suspect that he is a husband of a niece. John DONALDSON (b 1772), a brother of William DONALDSON had an unnamed daughter. This would be a possible placement.
Andrew Coulter BRADFORD (1788-1847)
This Alexander DONALDSON is probably the brother of
William DONALDSON who wrote this will. They are probably grandchildren
of Alex DONALDSON: Here lies the body of Alex Donaldson of Cloghog
Co. Armagh, formerly of Philipstown Co. Louth who died 22nd Jan 1776 aged
85 years and of his wife Alice Donaldson who died 24 Aug 1769 aged 82
years and of Richard Donaldson M.D. whose father Joseph Donaldson was
a grandson of the said Alex Donaldson; he died 4th March 1879 aged 54
years. SOURCE: Inscriptions in Creggan Graveyard, published in 'Seanchas
Ardmhaca, 1972 Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 309-332'
John MOFFITT.Since the mother of William DONALDSON was Ann MAFFETT, I expect there to be a family connection, although I don't know what it might be at present.
The sale of his Houses and lands after his death occurred December
16, 1815 – a mere month after the crafting of this will which was written
in Donaldson’s own hand.
John JACKSON (1780-1817), husband of Elizabeth McCULLAGH
William DONALDSON. One possibility is second cousin William DONALDSON (1783-1868) |
