30.9.1794 Macdonard adv. at Gerald's. Very likely the same person who first appeared as Macdonald adv. at Frost's Newgate on 7.8.1793 and was in Godwin's 1796 list immediately after C Pigot, (whom Godwin also first met that day), as Macdonald with the 'ald' crossed out and 'nel' inserted above and then crossed out and Macdonald also crossed right through. Macdonald appeared again at Tooke's acquittal 1.11.1794 and adv. at Gerald's 12.3.1795. In my view this was David Evans MacDonnel who was editor of the Gazetteer newspaper from June 1793 to Dec 1794 and then became editor of the Telegraph. Macdonald next appeared at King's on 21.10.1795 along with Merry, who assisted Macdonnel at the Telegraph (see John Taylor, Records of My Life v.2 p.272-8), and then at King's on 9.11.1795 as M'Donald, along with Robinson, Este & Williamson, and then at King's on 21.11.1795 along with Este. Then at the House of Commons on 23.11.1795 Godwin finally spelt him Macdonnel, who then appeared at King's 27.1.1796 with Merry and Este, again at King's 18.3.1796 with Este and Williamson, and then adv at Robinson's 24.12.1796. John King, David Evans McDonnell, Charles Este, George Robinson & John Williamson were the five proprietors of the Telegraph, according to the testimony of George Ross, publisher of the Telegraph and member of the London Corresponding Socy, at the trial of Daniel Stuart and John Fuller of the Morning Post for forging a copy of the French newspaper L'Eclair (True Briton 4.7.1796). In the 1796 list Macdonnel appeared twice in 1795, once - inserted above and crossed out - next to Williamson, (so referring to 9.11.1795 M'donald), and once (again inserted above) in a position earlier in the list (consistent with 21.10.1795 Macdonald). It seems conclusive that all these entries from 21.10.1795 were D E McDonnell, but the evidence of the 1796 list could be taken either to mean that the earlier Macdonalds must be someone else, or that the 1793 entry in the 1796 list suggests they were McDonnell. David Evans McDonnell was admitted to the Middle Temple 16.4.1785 only son of Henry McDonell late of Cork City deceased, his will dated 15.2.1811 and proved 10.6.1811 mentions no wife or children, two sisters in Cork, and among his friends the painter and actor Alexander Pope (DNB 1765-1835) the dentist and freemason Ruspini (DNB 1730-1813) and Andrew Franklin (d.1845) journalist and dramatist whom he had recommended to succeed him at the Gazetteer in 1796 (The Gazetteer, Robert L Haig p.251).
13.9.1799 Macdonald adv at Bosville's / 7.12.1800 adv at Keir's / 27.2.1803 dine at H Tooke's / 9.3.1806 again / 13.5.1806 invited to dine by Godwin / 24.9.1806 seek Macdonald / 9.12.1807 adv at theatre / 26.7.1809 Macdonalds at Hume's
These entries could only have been McDonnell if Godwin for some reason reverted to that spelling which seems unlikely. The entry of 13.5.1806 (a Tuesday) probably referred to the J Macdonald of 13 Half Moon Street who wrote to Godwin (Bodleian Abinger c8 f56) turning down an invitation to dine at Somers Town on a Tuesday, and presuming they would meet beforehand at Tooke's, so he was probably the Macdonald at Tooke's in 1806 perhaps that in 1803 and possibly all eight entries above between 1799 and 1809
Charles MacDonald mentioned in John G Alger, Englishmen in the French Revolution p181 is of interest as is another MacDonald Alger mentions who returned to England with (the Sheares brothers who were hanged for treason) and who may have been D E MacDonnell