The four portraits shown below are thought to be
of James Donaldson, his wife Elizabeth Ramsey and two of his sons. If this
identification is correct, it might suggest these portraits were produced
possibly around the period 1820 to 1830. These dates are only a guide and it is
possible they were painted a little earlier or later, but they must have been
completed by 1838 in which year James Donaldson, Snr. and his wife both died.
Another much larger original portrait exists of a young gentleman in a brown top
hat, and informed speculation suggests it may be the same young man as shown at
the right of this screen. It is also postulated that this similarity could be
reason to suspect these images are of John Donaldson, the portrait painter, but
this is so far unsubstantiated.
