Poet spurned USA for Angus

George W Donald, featured on this page recently – and one of his descendents can tell us more about the poet and custodian of Arbroath Abbey in the 19th Century.

Barry dweller Maureen Paterson emails: “I was so delighted to open my Courier and find a weel-kent photo of our great, greatgrandfather. My sisters and I listened to many tales of him from our great granny, Donald’s daughter-in-law, who lived to a grand old age, until we were into our teens.

“George was born on April 2 1820 in a cottage at Westfield, Forfar, where his father leased a small farm. Following a childhood accident to his right foot and leg, he was deemed a ‘confirmed cripple’.

“He was educated by his mother and helped tend his father’s cattle. The family moved to West Drum Park at Dunnichen where he studied music and song. In 1843 he began teaching at Dunnichen School, then was appointed dominie at Kingsmuir.

“He progressed to Tarfside, Lochlee and Luthermuir, where he taught until he resigned in 1858 with a view to sailing to America. But a new challenge awaited, and he was invited to take up the post of superintendent at an adventure school in Forfar, then later at St Vigeans.

“George moved to Arbroath to tutor and continue to write his poems and ballads and in 1866 was appointed keeper of Arbroath Abbey. We were told that folk would hear him before they saw him as he wore a metal boot to support his walking.

“He had published a small book of poems in 1854 and then his Poems, Ballads And Songs in 1867. My sister has read a number of his wonderful poems at gatherings and her grandson, a musician, set a few of his ballads to music.”

Maureen adds: “It may be of interest that George’s own great-grandfather, Allan Stuart Donald, was piper to Lord Airlie on the battlefield of Culloden. In slightly more recent times, George’s son Alexander – our great-grandfather, a stone mason – carved a number of the beautiful pillars on the Western Cemetery mortuary.

“He and his family did make it to America where our granny and siblings spent their childhood in Chicago.”