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105. Daniel Donnell/Donnal/Donnall (Married: Mary (Polly) Ervin (#106) in 1778, she died May 21, 1814; Married 2nd:Catherine (Cathrine) Gorrell on October 16, 1816; the bondsman was Robert Donnell and the Witness was J Hanner Clerk of County Court.) (Source of green: North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 for Daniel Donnell, Daughters of the American Revolution, Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR Vol 073). (Source of pink: North Carolina, Index to Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868; Bond # 000054913.). [Note: See a copy of the official document from Daniel and Cathrine's wedding document: click here].

Born: 1755 in Ireland according to the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Robert Donnell, II (#209) & Mary Jane Jackson (#210) .

Died: 22 January 1835 in 80th year in Guilford County, North Carolina (According to the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution). According to Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Cemetery Greensboro, North Carolina, compiled by Raymond Dufau Donnell in 1996, p. 20, Daniel is buried at 5E-6E/5D- 6D. (His gravesite was verified during a visit to the cemetery on 29 September 2005 by Susan Snyder (#2) and her cousins Sandra Henson and Mary Lue Finch, and his stone is shown at the bottom of this page.)

[His siblings included:

a) William Donnell: (Married: Mary Bell, daughter of ruling elder Samuel Bell in 1773) Born: ? Died: 1798; Miscellaneous: He was the oldest son of Robert, the second. Ruling Elder, Buffalo Presbyterian Church. He was in Captain Bell’s Company, Revolutionary War. Moved to Tennessee in 1797; (Source: History of Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Her People, Greensboro, N.C. , page 125, by Rev. S. M. Rankin).

b) Elizabeth (Elisabeth) Donnell: (Married: Robert Donnell, son of Thomas Donnell, Sr., 1775); Born: 1756 or 1757 Died: 18 August 1844 aged 87 yrs. Her tombstone reads, "In Memory of ELISABETH DONNELL CONSORT OF R DONNELL WHO DIED AUGUST 18th 1844 IN THE 87th YEAR OF HER AGE. (Susan Snyder (#2) took a picture of her tombstone and her husband's at Buffalo Presbyterian Church on 29 September 2005). His tombstone has a heart insignia with "Here lies the BODY OF ROBERT DONNELL Who Departed THIS LIFE ON THE .. ".( unreadable);

c) Samuel Donnell: Born: about 1760 in York County, Pennsylvania. Died: ?; Miscellaneous: Came to North Carolina with father, 1771. In Revolutionary War. Became Presbyterian minister and pastor, Spring Creek Church, Tennessee;

d) Sarah "Sallie" Donnell: (Married: John Donnell, son of Robert Donnell, Sr., 1779) Born: Circa 1759 in York County, Pennsylvania; Died: after 1803 and is buried at Buffalo Presbyterian Church Cemetery. (The blue information about Sallie is from page 75, Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Cemetery, Greensboro, North Carolina, 1996, by Raymond Dafau Donnell.;

e) Robert Donnell: (Married 1st: Jennie Morrison, 1790; Married 2nd: Mrs. Nancy Cabe Latta, 1820); Born: 1766. Died: 1847. Miscellaneous: Major, Revolutionary War. Long Ruling Elder, Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Trustee 1832-1847;

f) George Donnell: (Married: Lydia Forbis) Born: Between 1765 and 1771(When his mother died); Died: ?; Miscellaneous: Located on the Reedy Fork, N. C.] (Information about Daniel’s siblings in black above and the miscellaneous information in black below, by Russell Leach's (#3) genealogical research, has been verified by Susan Snyder (#2). Reference source is History of Buffalo Presbyterian Church And Her People, Greensboro, N. C. by Rev. S. M. Rankin, 1934.]

Miscellaneous:

[Note: Some of Daniel's siblings were born in York County, Pennsylvania, one as early as ~1759 (Sarah). So it appears that Daniel moved with his parents and any siblings including William from Ireland to Pennsylvania sometime after Daniel's birth (1755) and ~ Daniel's 4th birthday (1759). It is unknown how long his family lived in Pennsylvania, but Samuel who was 5 years younger than Daniel went with his father to North Carolina in 1771. It is unknown whether the entire family (including Daniel) went along too. But, Daniel had to be living in Guilford County, North Carolina prior to when his first child, Robert, was born there in October 28, 1778.]

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Volume 73, p. 183 states: Daniel Donnell (1755-1835) was engaged in the battle of Guilford Court House under Gen. Nathaniel Greene. He was born in Ireland; died in Guilford County, N. C. [Note: The Battle of Guilford Court House took place on March 15, 1781. If Daniel (#105) was in this battle, one would reason that he was living in N.C. at that time, however, during the battle he was listed as being part of the Virginia militia. So, it is unclear whether he was living in North Carolina or Virginia at that time.To learn more about the Battle of Guilford Court House and the role that Daniel played in the battle, click here.]

As described in the Guilford Genealogist that follows, by 1783 Daniel was living in Guilford County : The Guilford Genealogist, published by the Guilford County Genealogical Society of N.C. Vol. 21, No. 3, Spring 1994, Number 65, page 139 states that the minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, May Term 1783, p. 62 states: “At a County Court of Pleas & Quarter sessions begun and held for the County aforesaid (Guilford) the third Monday in May A.D. 1783 (being the 20th day), Daniel Donnell app. O. Rd. (overseerer of the road) r.o. (instead of) Abraham McElhatton--."

Daniel participated in the first census conducted in the United States, proving that in 1790 he was living in Guilford County, North Carolina. The census shows Daniel's household included 10 people: four free white males, 3 free white females, and 3 slaves. This census record can be viewed by clicking here.

The 1800 Federal Census shows Daniel and a lot of other Donnalls are living in Salisbury, Guilford County, North Carolina. The census shows Daniel's household included 15 people: five free white males, four free white females, and six slaves. The census record can be viewed by clicking here.

In the North Carolina 1810 Federal Census Index, p. 175, a Daniel Donnell lived in Guilford County. His ID # is NCS1a898602. The 1810 Federal Census shows Daniel was living in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina. The census shows Daniel's household included 15 people: 4 free white males, 3 free white females, 1 unidentified person, and 7 slaves. The census record can be viewed by clicking here.

According to Guilford County, North Carolina Land Grants 1778-1934 by Elizabeth “Pat” Shaw Bailey, p 73, there was a Daniel Donnell living along the waters of the Little Alamance River before 1813.

In the North Carolina 1830 Federal Census Index, p. 166, a Daniel Donnell lived in Guilford County. His ID # is NC56057939. The census shows Daniel's household included 12 people: Daniel and 11 slaves. The census record can be viewed by clicking here.

P. 126 of the History of Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Her People states that in 1833, Daniel was one of the elders in the church. Russell Leach documents from this source that Daniel lived east of Buffalo Presbyterian Church, where he was Ruling Elder, on the north side of North Buffalo. He was in the Revolutionary War and later pensioner- Colonial Records, Volume 22, page 63. He is buried at Buffalo Church.

Daniel's pension enrollment date was 4 March 1831. He is listed in The Roster of Soldiers from N.C. in the Amer. Rev. Comp. by D..R. of NC. Durham, NC. 1932. (12,709 p.) 434, 575. [Note: Click here to see Daniel's U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant file. Click here to see Daniel's name on the U.S. Pension Roll for 1835 for Guilford, County N. C.]

Daniel and Mary probably had 7 children: Robert, Martha, Joseph, Mary, Ervin (#53), Daniel, and Jane. [Note: Further research is needed to confirm Mary was one of their children. For details about the children, click on Ervin's name].

[Note: It is likely that Daniel and his second wife, Catherine, had no children together. According to Find a Grave Index, Catherinie died on October 7, 1823 and is buried at Alamance Presbyterian Church Cemetery.]

Daniel died without a will. As a result, on February 10, 1835, Robert Donnell, Joseph Donnell, Ervin Donnell (#53), F. Washington Donnell & Larkin Smith signed an agreement with the Guilford County court in the State of North Carolina to do an inventory of his estate. Click here to see the document and read a transcription of same.

The Guilford Genealogist, published by the Guilford County Genealogical Society of N. C. Vol. 21, No. 3, Spring 1994, Number 65, page 113 states that, “Guilford County, Court of pleas & quarter sessions, February Term 1835. Petition for sale of Negroes belonging to the estate of Daniel Donnell (#105) deceased. Robert Donnell, Joseph Donnell and Erwin Donnell (#53), against Daniel Donnell and Sampson Smith and wife Martha. In this case it appearing to the Satisfaction of the court that the defendants Daniel Donnell, Sampson Smith and wife Martha, are non-residents of this state, and that they reside beyond the limits of the same,...and are tenants in common with the petitioners in said negro slaves. It is therefore ordered...that publication of the pendency of this petition be made in the Greensborough Patriot for six weeks successively... A. E. Hanner, C.C.C.[Note: A copy of the petition made by Robert Donnell, Joseph Donnell, and Erwin Donnel requesting to be able to sell the slaves can be seen and read in its entirety by clicking here. Later that year, the Court of Pleas and Sessions of Guilford County ordered Robert Donnell to sell the slaves. Click here to read that order.

 

Left: Daniel’s tombstone at Buffalo Presbyterian Church Cemetery. (GPS 36° 6.596 minutes N, 79° 46.78 minutes W). This picture was taken on 29 September 2005. His tombstone reads:

In Memory of Daniel Donnell Died Jan’y 22, 1835 In the 80th year of HIS AGE _______

 

 

 

 

Lifetime Events Summary for Daniel Donnell

Event	Date	Daniel's age
Birth	1755	0
1st Marriage	~1778	~23
2nd Marriage	1816	61
Birth of Children	1778 - ?	23 - ?
Birth of son, Ervin (Erwin) (#53)	1793	38
Revolutionary War	1775 - 1783	20 - 28
War of 1812	1812 - 1815	57 - 60
Death	1835	80

 

The webmaster's DNA has matched no less than 41 other members in a Daniel Donnell DNA Circle in ancestry.com.

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Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com