James was born in North Carolina. He married Rachel Higgins of Burke County, NC. Soon after the marriage, the young couple moved to Tennessee where several of children are born. It is probable that they spent a few years in South Carolina before moving to Benton County, Alabama.

-James died around 1836 in Benton County, Alabama, and as he wasn't very old, left 9 named minor children in Orphan Court. Joshua Milner was named administrator of the will but died before the rather large estate was divided amongst his children in the probate dated 1838, Calhoun County Alabama. Litigation ensued on behalf of the children. Rachel moved to Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Many of their children have lines there. James appears to have run a large cotton gin as many receipts indicate post-mortem transactions for the business documented in the probate records.

KNOWN CHILDREN (all named as minors in the probate records):
- Mills Higgins Donaldson (1820-) born in SC or TN (The 1850 MS census states he was born in SC. The 1870 & 1900 censuses state he was born in TN.) *Could this be the extra James Donaldson family found in Union County SC on the 1810 census (see pages 1 & 29)?

-Anderson Young Donaldson (1821-1873) born in NC or SC died in Pontotoc (The Texas death certificate of Anderson's son, Higgins Lafayette, cites his father's birth state as NC; The 1850 census states SC and the 1860 & 1870 censuses state TN. (I lean towards the earliest documents in these situations.)

- Ellen Lucinda Donaldson (1824 TN- died Pontotoc ) married James Allen Combs

-Sarah Elvira Donaldson (1826 TN-1901 Pontotoc) married Singleton C Pritchett (1880 & 1900 censuses state both parents' birthplaces as NC)

- William Ephraim Donaldson (1828 TN- 1896 Pontotoc MS) (1880 census states both parents' birthplaces as NC)

- Mary Elizabeth (1830- )

- James Alexander Donaldson (1832 Alabama -1860 Pontotoc)

- Annie Louise Donaldson (1834 Alabama -1916 Pontotoc) married Andrew Jackson McLaughlin Johnson

-John Benton Donaldson (1834 Alabama- 1869 Pontotoc) TWIN to Joel

-Joel Jackson Donaldson (1834 Alabama -1901 Pontotoc) TWIN to John B (1880 census states both parents' birthplaces as NC)