Thomas Mitchell and Margaret (Peggy) Burton

Bones in the Belfry home page
Parents           Thomas Mitchell and Bathsheba Prout(80%)         Richard Burton and Susannah Johns

Thomas Mitchell (b 1799 St Agnes Cornwall, m  Margaret (Peggy) Burton 1823 St Austell, d 1864 Venterdon)
Margaret Burton (b 1800 Mevagissey Cornwall, d 1884 Venterdon)
      William Burton Mitchell (b 1825 Tregorrick St Austell Cornwall, m Margaret Hawton 1846 Stoke Climsland Cornwall, d 1913 Ascot Vale, Vic)
           William Mitchell  (b 1850 Stoke Climsland, m Ellen Adelaide Cubit 1880 Sandridge Melb, d 1889 Bethanga, Vic )
                  Ernest Harold Mitchell (b 1887 Whiteford, m  Liela Muriel Roach 1914 Kew, d 1960 Wodonga)
      John Burton Mitchell (b St Austell 1826, d after 1981 Census)   
      James Mitchell (b St Austell 1829, m Mary Hawton 1851, d 1913)         (Mary is Margaret Hawton's cousin)
      Thomas Mitchell (b Stoke Climsland abt 1832)   
      Jane Mitchell (b Stoke Climsland abt 1834)   
                              Susan Mitchell (b Calstock abt 1838)  (probably related, but not a daughter)
      Mary Ann Mitchell (b Stoke Climsland 1840)
      Margaret Mitchell (b Stoke Climsland 1843, m Edward Kelly 1866 Launceston Cornwall, d aft 1898 Tavistock Devon)

    Thomas was born in St Agnes Cornwall  in 1800. Margaret was born in Mevagissey in the same year. They married in St Austell (20 miles east of St Agnes, 3 miles north of Mevagissey) in 1823  Thomas was a copper miner in the census records. The couple moved 25 mile to the northeast from St Austell to the Stoke Climsland area between 1829 and 1831 and lived there for the rest of their lives.. The migration appears to be following work in the mines. County Records have Thomas Mitchell occupier of House & land at Venterdon in 1831. In 1841 they are living at Deans, one and a half miles south of Stoke Climsland, and near the new Windsor mine at Kit Hill. In 1851 they were living in Venterdon, a village a couple of hundred yards from Stoke Climsland.  Thomas died in 1864 and Margaret in 1884,.She sounded reasonably well off, as in the 1881 census she is described as Annuitant. At least two of their children prospered:. James in Stoke Climsland and William Burton in Australia
    William Mitchell (son )in his diary 18 Jan 1880 records sending a money order to his grandfather and grandmother..
    Son James later became Stoke Climsland Postmaster. James' son-in-law Charlie Stumbles later ran the Post Office

When Margaret was born, the famiy was living in 7 Fore St Venterdon - (Judith Jensen Morris, from the Kelly family bible)

From the Stoke Climsland Archives (see Acknowledgements), their children christened Nov 1st 1840
     Thomas , Jane John, and Marianne. - parents Thomas and Margaret Mitchell, of Deans, Miner
     Comment: Jane'rs second name may derive from her maternal grandmother's maiden name
     These entries and the 1851 census entry reinforce the impression that Susan is related, but not Thomas and Margaret's daughter. The 1841 census does not spell out family relationships

Thomas and Margaret's Story

Thomas' Parents

Judith Jensen-Morris pointed out  that Thomas Mitchell and Bathsheeba Prout are better candidates than my John Mitchell and Joice Matthews. My Thomas was born on 26 Apr 1800, making him only 63 when buried  6 Mar 1864. (Bathsheeba) Thomas was christened  17 July 1799. Thomas' headstone in Stoke Climsland has him 64 when he died
So we have two families

(1)      Thomas Mitchell ( m Bathsheba Prout 1797 St Agnes)
                Mary Mitchell (b 1798 St Agnes)
                Thomas Mitchell (b 1799 St Agnes
           Thomas is a miner in St Agnes in the 1851 Census

(2)      John Mitchell (b 1777 St Agnes Cornwall, m Joice Matthews 1798 St Agnes)
 Joice Matthews (b 1773 St Agnes)
    Thomas Mitchell (b 1798 St Agnes, d 1799)
    Thomas Mitchell (b 1800 St Agnes, m  Margaret (Peggy) Burton 1823 St Austell, d aft 1860)
    John Mitchell (b 1802 St Agnes, d 1805)
    Ann Mitchell (b 1804 St Agnes)
    John Mitchell (b 1806 St Agnes)
    Richard Mitchell (b 1809 St Agnes)
    William Mitchell (b 1810 St Agnes)
    James Mitchell (b 1813 St Agnes)
    Mary Mitchell (b 1816 St Agnes)
    Mary Anne Mitchell (b 1818 St Agnes)
No Census records found for John and Joice in 1841/51        John and Joice Mitchell (20%)    

On a grandchild name match, (1) scores 1.5/2,  (2) scores 4/6. All this is further complicated by the fact that candidates Thomas and John look very much like brothers. But confirmed miner for (1) is a plus

Assess Thomas and Bathhshheba as 80% likely parents - It all hangs on his age being given accurately when he died

Places of Interest

For Tregorrick, Stoke Climsland, Deans, Windsor Mine, Kit Hill and Venterdon, go to the Mitchell page, and follow the links.

Comments on researching the Mitchells in Cornwall.

    This family provided a few challenges, but I believe the picture on these web pages is pretty good. Over six generations, various surname spellings occur MITCHELL, MITCHEL MICHELL MICKELL, MICHEL MEECHELL. Margaret Mitchell (Burton) sometimes goes by Peggy, even on birth registrations. Some census data is strange. Thomas'  age is all over the place. According to the IGI, he was the second Thomas, an earlier son Thomas born in 1798 died aged 5 months.Yet our Thomas in the 1851 and 1861 census gives his age as 52 and 62 consistent with the first son. Really he was only 50. In 1841, when aged 40, he gives his age as 33. 

1841 Census

Deans,  Stoke Climsland, all born in County                      Born
Thomas Mitchell     33          Miner (Copper)     (abt 1807)
Peggy Mitchell        36                                       (abt 1804)        
William Mitchell         17                                       (abt 1823)  
John Mitchel              15                                       (abt 1825)  
James Mitchell           12                                       (abt 1828)  
Thomas Mitchell          9                                       (abt 1831)  
Jane Mitchell               7                                       (abt 1833)  
Susan Mitchell             4                                       (abt 1836)  
Mary Mitchell              1                                       (abt 1839)   

1851 Census

Parish of Stoke Climsland, CON            Road          Venterdon         Where Born
Thomas MITCHELL   Head     Mar     52     Copper Miner      St Agnes, CON, (abt 1798)
Margaret MITCHELL Wife     Mar     50                                 Mevagissey, CON (abt 1800)
James MITCHELL          Son                   21    Copper Miner       St Austle, CON, (abt 1829)
Thomas MITCHELL       Son                   18    Copper Miner       St Austle, CON, (abt 1832)
Susan MITCHELL          Visitor               12                                 Calstock(abt 1838)
Mary Ann MITCHELL    Dau                  10     Scholar                 Stoke Climsland (abt 1840)
Margaret MITCHELL     Dau                    7      Scholar                 Stoke Climsland (abt 1843)
and next door is their son John
John MITCHELL            Head     Mar     25      Miner                   St Austle, CON, (abt 1825)
Jane MITCHELL            Wife      Mar     24                                  Stoke Climsland (abt 1826)
Jane MITCHELL            Dau                     1                                 Stoke Climsland (abt 1849)

1861 Census

Parish of Stoke Climsland, Road: Venterdon (16 m NNW of Plymouth, 5 m W of Tavistock)
Thomas MITCHELL      Head   Mar    62   Copper Miner         St Agnes, CON, (abt 1798)
Margaret MITCHELL   Wife    Mar    60                                  Mevagissey, CON (abt 1800)
Margaret MITCHELL        Dau               17                                  Stoke Climsland (abt 1843)
Margaret's birthplace is unclear, but Mevagissey looks like it. Mevagissey is 4 miles S of St Austell, where son James was born in 1830 (1861 Census)
Also in Venterdon Road is William Burton's family
Margaret MITCHELL       Head    Mar     32         *                     Stoke Climsland (abt 1828)
Jane H MITCHELL                                  14                                 Stoke Climsland (abt 1846)
William MITCHELL                                 11       Scholar               Stoke Climsland (abt 1849)
Selina MITCHELL                                     9        Scholar              Stoke Climsland (abt 1851)
Braddon MITCHELL                                 6        Scholar              Stoke Climsland (abt 1854)
Margaret MITCHELL                                3                                  Stoke Climsland,(abt 1857)**
* Husband a copper miner and abroard
** said DEV, but Stoke Climsland is in CON, a couple of miles from DEV
Next door to the Mitchells are some relations
Rebecca Hawton        Head      Widow     63        ***                   Stoke Climsland (abt 1797)
Eliza Hawton              Grandau                    4                                 Stoke Climsland (abt 1856)
*** Coal Miners widow, now alms woman   
Rebecca Hawton looks like John Hawton's widow, and the mother of Mary Hawton who married James Mitchell
And in Stoke Village, son James and family
James MITCHELL         Head     Mar     31   Draper + Grocer     St Austel, CON, (abt 1830)
Mary MITCHELL          Wife      Mar     29                                  Stoke Climsland (abt 1832)
Emma Jane MITCHELL                            8        Scholar              Stoke Climsland (abt 1853)
James MITCHELL                                    7        Scholar              Stoke Climsland (abt 1854)
William H MITCHELL                              6        Scholar              Stoke Climsland (abt 1855)
Faulkner MITCHELL                                3        Scholar              Stoke Climsland (abt 1858)
Archibald MITCHELL                               2                                 Stoke Climsland (abt 1859)
Fanny Philp                 Servant   Unm        20                                 Stoke Climsland

1871 Census

Stoke Village, son James and family
James MITCHELL       Head    Mar     41        Draper + Grocer       St Austel, CON, (abt 1830)
Mary MITCHELL        Wife     Mar     39                                         Stoke Climsland (abt 1832)
Emma Jane MITCHELL                       18        Assistant                    Stoke Climsland (abt 1853)
William H MITCHELL                         16        Scholar                     Stoke Climsland (abt 1855)
Faulkner MITCHELL                           13        Scholar                     Stoke Climsland (abt 1858)
Archibald MITCHELL                          12                                        Stoke Climsland (abt 1859)
Helena A M MITCHELL                        9                                        Stoke Climsland (abt 1861)
Clara Louisa MITCHELL                     12                                         Stoke Climsland (abt 1859)
Morgan HAWKEN      Servant  Unm    20                                        Stoke Climsland
James MITCHELL junior not listed. Would be 17 so could have left home
3 houses away in the schedule was:
Frances HAWTON     Head     Mar       71    Labourer Sexton          Stoke Climsland (abt 1799)
Maryann HAWTON    Wife     Mar        66                                       Plymouth, DEV  (abt 1805)
Maryann HAWTON     Dau                    19                                      Stoke Climsland (abt 1851)
Elizabeth Russell            Visitor                  5                                       Plymouth ,
This is Francis Hawton and Mary Knight

1881 Census

Parish of Stoke Climsland, Venterdon                                  Where Born
Margrit MITCHELL    Head    Widow    81   Annuitant     Mevagissey, Cornwall (abt 1799)
Stoke Village Post Office, son James and family
James MITCHELL    M      51      St Austel, Cornwall (abt 1829)  Head     Postmaster Farmer 51 Acres Family Grocer & General Merchant
Mary MITCHELL     M      49      Stoked, Cornwall (abt 1831)     Wife   
Helen A.M. MITCHELL    U    19    Stoked, Cornwall (abt 1861)  Dau      Asst (Ag)
Clara L. MITCHELL  U     18       Stoked, Cornwall (abt 1862)      Dau     Asst (Ag)
There doesn't appear to be a place in Cornwall called Stoked? Perhaps it is Stoke ditto by the census taker?

1891 Census

Stoke Village
James MITCHELL  Head        Mar    61        Merchant General   St Austel, CON, (abt 1830)
Mary MITCHELL   Wife         Mar    59                                       Stoke Climsland (abt 1832)
Alice GARHILL       Servant    Unm    16                                       Stoke Climsland
Thos Poole               Servant    Unm    14                                       Stoke Climsland

1901 Census

Stoke Village, son James and wife Mary
James MITCHELL    Head    Mar   71   Farmer Retired     St Austel, CON, (abt 1830)
Mary MITCHELL     Wife     Mar   69                               Stoke Climsland (abt 1832)
 Note two houses down on the page the road entry changes from Stoke Village to Whiteford.

Material from Di Gibbs (Stoke Climsland OPC)

Baptisms for three children of Thomas amd Margaret Mitchell, of Deans (Stoke Climsland), miner,  all on 1 Nov 1840 Thomas, James Johns,  and Marianne
Her spreadsheet also has baptisms for James and Mary's children
She also has burials for Thomas and Margaret in Venterdon. (Thomas Mitchell, aged 64, 6 Mar 1864 and Margaret Mitchell, aged 84, 24 May 1884)
And a suggestion to follow up:
Try your request on the Cornish genealogy list. They're all very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mylists/cornish_gen.htm
I think this page will give you all you need to know if you are not familiar with this message board. Interesting that the two girls were not baptised!!

Acknowlegements:

Particularly Fred Mitchell (Ernest Mitchell's son) and Jenny  (Fred's daughter), but also Bob Mitchell (Ernest's son) and Norm Martin (Florence's daughter).
Also Di Gibbs, OPC for Stoke Climsland who has provided lots of help
Many thanks to Caroline Vulliamy of the Stoke Climsland Archives (held in the Old Svhool). She spent the best part of a day finding material for us, and trying to work out where the Mitchells lived in Venterdon from the Tithe and Census records. She also took a group (including us) on an historical ramble of Venterdon in the evening.

Research Notes


Found marriage of Susan Mitchell to William Warren but she  is not our Susan?
If you have additions or corrections to this page, please contact us      Bones in the Belfry home page      Page last updated - 2024