John DONHAM was born 7 April 1767, probably in Middlesex County, New Jersey. He was the oldest son of Nathaniel DONHAM Jr. and Mary SUTTON. Before 1792 he married Sallie JENNINGS and had four children. She died Aug 1808. He then married Elizabeth BROWN, daughter of George BROWN and Margaret Rebecca CONRAD on 5 February 1811 at Indian Creek Baptist Church, Clermont County, Ohio. They had seven children.
John DONHAM was often known as "King Donham" because of the vast amount of land that he owned. One history reports, "At the time of his decease, he was the owner of some twenty-eight thousand acres of land, of which about three thousand five hundred acres were in Pierce, Ohio, and Monroe townships, Clermont County."

The following is from the same history:
[John] DONHAM and a Mr. MASON were two of the hunters for the Columbia colony and were probably the first white men to visit Bethel, Ohio. On one of their big hunting trips, they killed several deer, near Deer Lick, not far from Bethel, which they hung in the trees out of reach of the wolves and other wild animals numerous at that time, after which they 'blazed' a trail so that a squad of men could be sent for the venison, from Columbia. They also broke the first ground for the colony at Columbia. John DONHAM was a man of few words and prompt action, as was illustrated upon one occasion when, needing flour badly, he put two bags of wheat on a horse which he led to a water mill at Ten Mile. Upon arriving at the mill, he asked the propietor's son to carry the bags into the mill for him, which the boy rudely refused to do, whereupon the gentleman turned away and taking his wheat with him returned home. He then sent one of his sons to Twelve Mile creek to locate a site for a grist mill, while he journeyed to Cincinnati to secure a mill wright. A tract of two thousand acres was secured and a mill erected on what is now the Francis WERST place. The business thus established flourished for many years, and was a great benefit to the community. Politically, Mr. DONHAM was a Democrat and served his party as a member of the State legislature of Ohio, from Hamilton county.
John Donham died 15 August 1856 in Ohio Township, Clermont County, Ohio.
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John died in 1855 - note will proved: Prof to wit
State of Ohio, Clermont County ss -

We the undersigned Robert Donham and Reuben Lacock being duly sworn in open court this the 26th day of August A.D. 1855 depose and say that we were present at the execution of the last will and testament of John Donham hereunto amended - that we was the said testator subscribe said will and heard him publish and declare the same to be his last will and testament and that the said testator at the time of executing the same was of full age - of sound mind and memory and not under any legal restraint - and that we signed the same as witnesses at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other and further that we were present and saw said testator sign a codicil to said will revoking the appointment of John Pearce as one of his executors on the 2nd day of April 1849 and further that the said John Pearce has since said time departed this life (signed) Reuben Lacock
Robert Donham
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 25th day of August 1855

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