What were Hugh and Mary Jane like?

The Donnan Family Register

A gift to me from Aunt Teddy

Notice the handwriting change for the last two births

     What was Hugh like?  In his fathers will, James leaves Hugh enough money to repay a debt that his father signed for with the explicit instruction that his inheritance be used to repay the debt. 

        “I give and bequeath to my beloved son Hugh Donnan the sum of one hundred dollars on condition that he pays to Samuel Crawford the sum of one hundred dollars which he now owes him and for whom I went his security. Should he fail to pay the above sum my will is that he gets 5 dollars to be paid by my son James William Donnan at the time he shall come into possession of my real estate after the demise of my beloved wife, Margaret Donnan.”

     Samuel Crawford was an ”agricultural implement manufacturer” in London, Ontario – he also owned a large tract of land not far from the Donnan holdings.  Did Hugh, with wife and young family try to make a go of farming in Biddulph, Blanshard or Palmerston?  At the time of his father’s death, Hugh had already moved his family from Biddulph to Palmerston and to Williams, California.  More children & more moves – I can see where it would be difficult to scrape up a spare $100 to repay a debt, but debt he had and his father went to his grave requesting that debt be cleared up.  (With inflation, at least $15,000 in today’s dollars).

     The will left “fathers” farm to younger son, James.  Mother Margaret was alive until 1893.  At that time James would have inherited the farm, if in fact it had not already been sold.  Owning a farm in Ontario in the late 1800’s was not necessarily a license to print money.  Times were depressed and many a farmer was having a hard time making ends meet.  Whatever circumstances created the clause about Hugh in fathers will, Hugh redeemed himself in later life by including James in his own family.  Certainly by the time the family was in Grand Forks, brother James was a fixture in Hugh Donnans family; often spending many months with them, even staying with his niece Lucy in California until her death.

     What was Mary Jane like?  Mary Jane Caswell was born in Darlington Township, in Ontario, in 1852.  She was the youngest daughter and the tenth child in the family.  Gordon Caswell, in a letter summarizing the 13 Caswell brothers and sisters, described Mary Jane (Caswell) Donnan as “a kindly quiet woman, a good mother who had her share of some of the unpleasant things in life and stood up well under it.”

     Photographs of Mary Jane “reveal a strong, stalwart and firm woman with a suitably formal, unsmiling expression”.  Photograph sessions were formal occasions in those days and as Audrey said “even my mother, Arthena who could not have been less mischievous at the age of twelve than she was years later looks very serious as she posed with her mother and oldest sister, Lucy.  They share a look of strong will and determination and I suspect they also share the infectious and all-pervasive, often earthy sense of humour that my mother had.”

Mary Jane, Lucy & Bella c. 1875

Sam Caswell, photographer

Palmerston

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James Donnan will transcript

This indenture witness that I, James Donnan of the Township of Blanshard in the County of Perth and Province of Ontario of the Dominion of Canada being of sound and disposing mind , memory and understanding do declare this to be my last Will & Testament hereby revoke and making null all former wills and testaments by me heretofore made.

            My will is first that my funeral expenses and just debts shall be paid by my executors hereafter named.  The residue of my estate and property, which shall not be required for the payment of my just debts and funeral expenses, the expenses attending the execution of this will, and the administration of my estate, I give and bequeath and dispose thereof as follows.

            I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Margaret Donnan all my personal property unless such property may be required for such purposes as have been herein before mentioned.  I also give and bequeath to my beloved wife all my real estate during her natural life and at her death it is my will that she shall dispose of her bed and bed clothes for one bed; together with her wearing apparel to whomsoever she chooses.

            I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Mary Ann Radcliffe the sum of ten dollars and half a dozen chairs to be paid from my personal property.

            I give and bequeath to my beloved son James William Donnan all my real estate after the demise of my beloved wife Margaret Donnan and also whatever personal property that shall still remain at the death of my beloved wife Margaret Donnan.

            I give and bequeath to my beloved son Hugh Donnan the sum of one hundred dollars on condition that he pays to Samuel Crawford the sum of one hundred dollars which he now owes to him and for what I went his security.  Should he fail to pay the above sum my will is that he gets five dollars to be paid by my son James William Donnan at the time he shall come into possession of my real estate after the demise of my beloved wife Margaret Donnan.

            I also appoint my beloved wife Margaret Donnan and Robert Radcliffe, Sen. of the Township of Biddulph to be my sole and only executors to this my last will and testament.

            In testimony whereof I the said James Donnan have here unto subscribe my hand and affixed my seal this twenty eight day of January in the year of our Lord on thousand and eight hundred and seventy four.

James Donnan

Signed, sealed and delivered by the said James Donnan to his last will and testament in the presence of William D. Stanley and James Keith who at his request and in his presence has subscribed their hands or witnesses in the presence of each other.