Donnaldson family

John Donnaldson (1754-1831) was the son of Mary Wormley (1734-1817) and Hugh Donnaldson (1719-1772), an Irish immigrant who manufactured sea biscuits. John was a merchant and insurance broker, and owned shares in the Canton, the first ship to sail from Philadelphia to China in 1785-1787. John married Sarah Milner (1760-1839).

John's eldest son Edward Milner Donnaldson (1778-1853) worked as a crew member on his father's ships, and first traveled to China on the Canton in 1800. He soon became a captain and traveled to Europe, India, and other parts of the world.

Another of John's sons, Richard M. Donnaldson (1787-1873) was also involved in the China trade. He travelled to China and made many trips between Liverpool and the West Indies from about 1804-1825, but seems to have stopped sailing around 1825. He married Harriet Shewell Currie in 1832.

Of John's three remaining sons, all three had mercantile careers, but only Hugh Donnaldson (1796-1819) also traveled to China.

Bibliography:

Lee, Jean Gordon. Philadelphians and the China Trade, 1784-1844 . Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1984.

From the guide to the Donnaldson family papers, 1773-1915, (Historical Society of Montgomery County)