In the 1840s and '50s, Doncaster was the plant superintendent for the reviled John Gibson. When the Woodworth planing syndicate fell apart after the Woodworth patent finally lapsed in 1856, Gibson's continuing litigiousness poisoned any further sales of his machines, and he was stuck with a large inventory. In 1858 Gibson sold the business to Doncaster, who was well respected by the mill owners. Doncaster made numerous improvements to the designs—improvements that Gibson deemed unnecessary during the days of the monopoly—and continued to operate for many years. By 1880, Daniel Doncaster, Jr., had taken over the business.

Information Sources

• 1860—The Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the New York State Agricultural Society lists the awards for the previous year's State Fair, including a diploma for Daniel Doncaster for his wood planing machine.
• 1865—An ad for S. C. Hills mentions that they carried machines made by "D. Doncaster".
• 1871—The Journal of the New York State Agricultural Society: "The Blind and Slat Planer of Daniel Doncaster, Albany, N. Y., planes both sides of the slat with the grain and without turning over. It rounds the edges at the same operation. The outside cutter is made in the form or shape of the material to be worked. With this machine the chips are conducted off through an elbow out of the way. 600 pounds. $250."
• 1871—The Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the New York State Agricultural Society lists the awards for the previous year's State Fair at Utica. Doncaster won several awards, summarized here:

  Daniel Doncaster, Albany, N. Y.; planing and matching machine, for planing, tongueing and grooving boards and planks; weighs 2,600 pounds; eight by four feet; price, $700.
  Machine planes both sides, and cuts tongue and groove at the same time. Planed twenty feet board measure per minute. The committee award for it a bronze medal.

  Daniel Doncaster, Albany, N. Y. double sash and blind planer; weighs 800 pounds; four by three feet; price, $350.
  The machine planed twenty-two lineal feet sash stuff per minute. Quality of work, excellent. The committee award for it a bronze medal.

  Daniel Doncaster, Albany, N. Y.; vertical re-sawing mill; weighs 3,000 pounds; twelve by four feet; price, $400.
  The machines specified [the vertical re-sawing mill and circular re-sawing mill] are very useful and efficient for slitting thick stuff, or for cutting square timber into boards. They may be said to be "portable saw mills". The committee award for each of them a certificate of merit.

  The committee would remark that all of Mr. Doncaster's machines were characterized by simplicity, strength, and evident durability.

• 1871—The Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the New York State Agricultural Society, 1872, lists the awards for the previous year's State Fair, including a bronze medal for Daniel Doncaster for his moulding machine.
• 1873—Awarded at the thirty-third annual exhibition of the New York Agricultural Society, Albany, NY, October 1873: Daniel Doncaster, Albany, N. Y. Surface Planing Machines, Bronze Medal. Moulding Machines, Certificate of Highest Merit. Blind Slat Planer, Bronze Medal. Swing cross cut saw, Certificate of Merit.
• 1881—The Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the New York State Agricultural Society, 1881, lists the awards for the previous year's State Fair, including three certificates of merit for Daniel Doncaster, Jr., for his clap-board saw, panel planing machine, and double slat planing machine.
• 1886—The Bi-Centennial History of Albany, by George Rogers Howell and Jonathan Tenney, 1886:

  WOOD MACHINERY

  Daniel Doncaster in 1858 began the manufacture of wood-working machinery, and the business is at present carried on by his son, Daniel Doncaster, 1t 7 and 9 Railroad avenue and 313 to 317 North Pearl street. Twenty-five mechanics are employed. The manufacture of planing, resawing, and molding machines are the specialties. All kinds of wood-working machinery, shafting, pulleys, etc., are also made.

• 1980—Planers, Matchers and Molders in America, by Chandler W. Jones, mentions Doncaster and his takeover from John Gibson. Jones says that Doncaster continued to operate "for a number of years" after 1856.