The village of Fochabers established by Alexander Gordon,4th Duke of Gordon (1743-1827) in the parish of Bellie, Moray, Scotland

On the Scottish estate of the Gordon family in the parish of Bellie, Moray, William Donaldson and his wife Isabell Milton were married on 22nd June 1775.

They had several children including John (baptised 25th July 1776), George (baptised 3rd May 1778), William (baptised 25th July 1780) and Andrew (baptised 18 Jan 1784).

Meanwhile turbulent events were taking place within the wider world with the American War of Independence (April 1775 – September 1783) which grew into a wider conflict involving France, Spain, the Dutch Republic and a number of the German states. In the West Indies the French navy had a dominant role but the hopes of France and Spain to take Jamaica from the British were frustrated following the Battle of the Saintes (or Bataille de la Dominique) in April 1782.

A view of Port Royal and Kingston Harbour, Jamaica in 1782

Amongst the British garrison in Jamaica were James Bankhead, a Sergeant serving with the Royal Artillery, and his wife Isabella Sharp. They had two children born and baptised in Port Royal, Jamaica: Jane (born 27th April 1787) and Robert Williams (baptised 23 Aug 1789).

On the 2nd April 1799 George Donaldson, a tailor by trade, enlisted in the Royal Artillery and served with them as a gunner in the 5th Battalion until 30th June 1817. He was 5ft 10 ¾ in tall, had black hair, grey eyes and a dark complexion. His pension on discharge in consequence of “being worn out” was 1 shilling per dayafter 18 years and 91 days of enlisted service.

Napoleonic uniform of Royal Artillery

Discharge papers of George Donaldson

At some point, George Donaldson and Jane Bankhead were married and it appears that they lived together in Malta throughout the Napoleonic Wars. There is no obvious record of their marriage in Scotland and it may have been in the Woolwich area near the Royal Artillery barracks.

Map of Sicily and Malta dated 1808

The parish registers at Bellie record the births and baptisms in Malta of Isabella (born 26th February 1806), Jane (born 24th March 1808), George Andrew (born 5th December 1815) just before the entry for the birth of Margaret (born 13th January 1819) in Fochabers, Bellie. The timing of George

Donaldson's service with the 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery suggests that he served with Capt W. H. Gardner's Company which arrived in Malta in April 1803 and left in November 1816.

Jane Bankhead's brother, Robert, a labourer, also enlisted on 1st January 1805 in the Royal Artillery for service in Malta and was promoted from Drummer to Gunner and Driver on 1st June 1809. He was to serve for 3 years in Malta and Sicily, then 7 years in Gibraltar, 2 years in Corfu and the remainder of his 28 years and 181 days of service back at home.

On discharge he is described as 5ft 7in tall, with dark hair, grey eyes and a swarthy complexion. He was suffering from “Chronic Rheumatism and defect of Vision”.

The medical report notes that he “Arrived about two months ago from Portsmouth. Whilst at that Station, he was employed nearly three years at Marchwood: being unable to perform effective duty, in consequence of severe Rheumatic pains in his Back and Loins. He also suffers from weakness of sight.” and concludes that “he is worn out, and permanently unfit for further Military service; but able to contribute something towards his livelihood.” He was awarded a pension of 1 shilling and 3 pence halfpenny a day from 1st July 1833. He was awarded the usual Marching Allowance to return home, to Fochabers, which from Woolwich amounted to 54 days.

Robert Bankhead married Agnes Thomas in Bellie, Moray, on 8th July 1834 and they lived there until his death in 1867.

The 1841 Census records their niece, Margaret Donaldson, living with them. By this time George and Jane Donaldson, living at Dramlack, Fochabers, had four further children: William (born 5th Feb1821), James (born 9 March 1823), Mary (born 19 February 1826) and Agnes (born 25th March 1830).

By the time of the 1851 Census all of George and Jane Donaldson's surviving children had left home.

Later records indicate that George worked as a forester and gamekeeper until his death in 1860.

Isabella Donaldson

Meanwhile, Isabella Donaldson had married John Gilmour and they were living by 1841 in Govan, Lanarkshire.

They had a number of children:

Matthew Gilmour, born 1831

Jane Gilmour, born 24th October 1833, who married George Dykes, born 21st July 1833 in Kirknewton, Midlothian, of whom further details follow below

Agnes Gilmour, born 7th February 1836

Charles Gilmour, born 1837, who married Marion Kerr, born 18th February 1839 in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, and had at least seven children

George Gilmour, born 3rd November 1838, who married Elizabeth Ballantyne, born 2nd January 1841 in Polmont, Stirling, and had at least six children

Grace Gilmour, born 26th December 1840

Margaret Gilmour, born 3rd January 1842

John Gilmour, born 24th May 1845

Isabella Gilmour, born 22nd July 1847

John Gilmour worked in a silk factory in Govan.

Isabella Gilmour (nee Donaldson) died on 1st March 1879 in Waddell's Lane, Old Kirkpatrick, Dumbarton.

Jane Gilmour married George Dykes on the 28th September 1855 in Govan, Lanarkshire.

Jane was working in a silk factory and George in a dye works.

They had at least six children:

John Dykes, born 1856 in Govan

Isabella Dykes, born 1858 in Govan

George G Dykes, born 8th January 1860 in Govan and died 1st December 1917 in Leith, Midlothian

Elizabeth Dykes, born 8th December 1861 in Govan, who married Robert Tew and died on 17th May 1924 in Leith, Midlothian

Thomas Dykes, born 6th March 1864 in Govan, who married Helen Conn, of whom more below...

Charles Gilmour Dykes, born 26th February 1866 in Govan and died on 14th October 1891 in Glasgow.

On the 1871 Census the family, except for Jane Gilmour, are found in Alexander Street, McIntyre's Land, Bonhill, Lanarkshire and with them is living Isabella Donaldson, Jane's mother. George Gilmour is described as a Yarn Clerk.

By 1881 Thomas Dykes has left home and enlisted in the Royal Navy. On the Census he is found in the Royal Naval Hospital at East Stonehouse, Plymouth as a patient.

Service record of Thomas Dykes in the Royal Navy before discharge after injury

The preserved stern of HMS Implacable on which Thomas Dykes was training

In 1891 Thomas Dykes, with his wife, Helen (nee Conn) and three children are living at 32 Robert Street, Govan, Lanark and he is working as a shipyard labourer.

In 1901 they are still living at 32 Robert Street, Govan and Thomas' occupation is now described as a 'holder on' (otherwise a 'rivetter's holder up'). There are by now six children: George, Margaret, Thomas, James C, Sarah C and Joseph C.

Margaret Dykes, by then a rope worker, married Robert Osborne, a hammerman and a next door neighbour, on Christmas Eve 1909 in Govan.

By 1911 they had moved to 3 Mason Street, Middlesborough, where they were living in one room and had one daughter, Ellen who had been born in Govan. A further daughter, Margaret, was born in1911 and then the family moved to Barrow in Furness before 7th July 1915 when another daughter, Elizabeth, was born. Three sons followed: Robert born in 1919, Thomas in 1922 and Richard in 1928.

In 1933 Elizabeth Osborne married Thomas Henry Nicholls and they had four children: Elizabeth, Marion, Thomas H and George.

George Andrew Donaldson

George Andrew Donaldson had moved to Jamaica and married a Felecia Hamilton (sometimes later as Phyllis), and they had several children: Margaret, William, Mary Ann (born 1844) and Andrew George (born 1855). The baptisms of Mary Ann and Andrew George took place in the parish of St Thomas in the East, Surrey, Jamaica.

Another source records Andrew George Donaldson's birth in St Thomas describing his father, George A Donaldson as a planter and penkeeper, and owner of Pembroke Hall, St Thomas.

George Andrew Donaldson died on 21st February 1892 at Ardsheal, Morant Bay, Jamaica.

A transcript of George's will reads as follows:

WILL of GEORGE A. DONALDSON of St. Thomas, planter

To my wife FELEICA DONALDSON for life this property Ardsheal.All personal property to my wifeexcept my watch and chain and gold ring to my son ANDREW DONALDSON,and the large 8 day clock to my son in law ALEX J. PINE now overseer of Mona Estate St. Andrew.

I give to Mr. JAMES RAY the dining table now in the hall.

It will be seen by the title that Ardsheal by right belongs to my daughter MARGARET DONALDSON now MRS. PINE and my son WILLIAM DONALDSONbut I wish it kept in the family by them or my daughter MARY ANN DONALDSON now MRS. BOYD.

I wish my son ANDREW DONALDSON to get the run of land north of the road leading to Bath, butting on his land and on Pembroke Hall, Spring Garden, and Quashie Wood until it meets GEORGE GROSSETT's one acre.

I give my horse and saddle to MR. JAMES RAY.

Executors: my friends ALEX J. PINE of Mona Estate St Andrew and MR JAMES RAY of Ardsheal and my daughter MARGARET PINE.

Dated 6/4/1891.

Witnesses RALPH RAY, JOHN RAY.

CODICIL From the £60 I have in the Government Savings Bank, to my granddaughter GERTRUDE BOYD £20. To my granddaughter EDITH BOYD £10. The balance to my grandson LEWIS PINE.

Dated 12/29/1891

Counted by CHARLES MILTON MacLEOD of Kingston, clerk 4/21/1892 before THOMAS NORMAN CRIPPS, J.P.

From this we note that Mary Ann Donaldson married a Mr Boyd and they had several children, including Gertude and Edith. They had a son, Andrew Gilbert, who was born on 23rd November 1879 in Kingston, Jamaica.

Felicia, George's wife, died in 1895 at Ardsheal, Morant Bay, Jamaica:

On 1st August 1902 Mary Ann Boyd (nee Donaldson and now aged 58), and her son Andrew GilbertBoyd (aged 23), left their residence in Armotto Bay, Jamaica and sailed on the SS Admiral Schley from Port Antonio, arriving in Boston on the 20th August 1902.

The SS Admiral Schley was operated by the United Fruit Company and is pictured above in a stereographic image taken in Jamaica.

On the 1910 US Census the Boyd's are found renting a house in Seattle Ward 12, King, Washington State with Mary Ann shown as being as widow and Andrew Gilbert working as a Hotel electrician.

Some time just before completing his US DraftRegistration Card for WWI, Andrew GilbertBoyd was married to Mary Louise Butler. Onthat registration he is shown as working as aclerk for the Pacific Car and Foundry Companyand Renton, King, Washington.

The Pacific Car and Foundry Works at Renton,Washington, USA in 1916

Mary Louise had been born in Texas and on the1920 US Census they are found living inKennydale, King, Washington and they had adaughter Muriel aged 1 year 5 months when the1920 US Census was taken. Andrew was stillshown as an electrician but also as 'not working'.

Andrew's naturalization application was datedOctober 1923 and he then describes hisoccupation as a salesman. He was 5ft 7 ½inches tall, weighing 165 pounds, with black

hair, brown eyes, and a scar over his right eye. In this document as in the 1910 and 1920 US Censusentries he is described as 'White'.

By the 1930 US Census attitudes were changing in the USand Andrew, with his wife and children, now living in LasVegas, Clark, Nevada are all described as 'negro' on theCensus return. There are six children at home: Muriel,Gilbert, Bernadine, Eldon, Stanford and Barbara as well asLouise's younger brother, Roland. Andrew is now working asa car washer at a garage.

About 1935 the family moved to San Bernadino, California.On the 1940 Census Mary Louise Boyd is found withdaughter, Muriel E aged 21, and two young boys born whilstin Nevada, Andrew G jr age 3 and Keith S age 1.

Andrew Gilbert Boyd died on 19th October 1965 in Riverside,California whilst Mary Louise died on 28th October 1975 inLos Angeles, California.

Of their children, Elouise Rosalie (born 1916) appears to have died as an infant; Muriel E (born abt 1919, died 2003 in Los Angeles, California) married a Kemp; Gilbert McVillary (born 7th February 1920, died 21 August 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio) enlisted on 29th January 1943 at Salt Lake City, Utah and served as a Staff Sergeant in the USAAF; Bernadine (born 18 August 1921, died March 1971 in Riverside, California) married a Harrison; Eldon C (born 17th January 1923, died 22nd February 1964 in Los Angeles) qualified as a doctor and married Virginia Lain; Stanford A (born 21st December 1924, died 2nd April 1972 in Long Beach, Los Angeles, California) married Virginia Mae Huffman; Barbara (born 26th May 1928 in Nevada, died 13th July 1952 in Los Angeles).

There are living descendants of Eldon C Boyd and Stanford A Boyd in California.

Andrew George Donaldson

Mary Ann Donaldson's younger brother, Andrew George Donaldson married Catherine Evangeline Porteous in Jamaica and had at least two children: Anna D and William Adolphus (born 23rd August 1885). William Adolphus married Esther Victoria and they had children: Muriel Alexandria (born 12th April 1916), Beulah Rose (born 13th December 1917) and Eric Oswald Andrew Mapletoft (born8th Mar 1919).

William Adolphus Donaldson was living in New York before the outbreak of WWII and was included in the WWI draft registration in 1942.

By 1954 Beulah was living in Edgecombe Avenue, New York and filed a petition for naturalization.

Outline of family tree

William DONALDSON& Isabell MILTON

James BANKHEAD& Isabella SHARP

George DONALDSON& Jane BANKHEAD

Robert BANKHEAD& Agnes THOMAS

John GILMOUR & Isabella DONALDSON

George Andrew DONALDSON& Felecia HAMILTON

Jamaica

George DYKES& Jane GILMOUR

BOYD& Mary Ann DONALDSON

Andrew George DONALDSON& Catherine Evangeline

PORTEOUS

Thomas DYKES& Helen CONN

Andrew Gilbert BOYD& Mary Louise BUTLER

William AdolphusDONALDSON

& Esther Victoria

Robert OSBORNE& Margaret DYKES

Eldon C BOYD& Virginia LAIN

Thomas Henry NICHOLLS& Elizabeth OSBORNE

/\ /\ /\

Via Malta and Govan toBarrow in Furness

Via Jamaica, Washington Stateand Nebraska to California

Via Jamaica to New York