HISTORY OF THE MITCHELL NAME:

The ancient family tree of the Mitchell family began in Scotland. The family originally lived in the town Mitcham in the county of Surrey before moving north to Scotland.

Variations of the name include Mitchill, Mitchum, Mitchill, Michell, Migel, Mitchone, Migell and many more.

The earliest written records of the name were found in Surrey. The family resided there as early as the 11^th century when King William the Conqueror granted them a parcel of land. Later the family began to branch out and the name was found in Scotland at Muirtown, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee by the early 15^th century.

During the 16^th and 17^th centuries some of the family moved to the county of Dorset and to Enderby Hall in Leicestershire. Some of the family moved to Ireland in the Plantation of Ulster and in 1890, a census of Scottish families in Ireland was taken. It showed that there were over 5734 people bearing the surname Mitchell and about 49% of these were found in the province of Ulster. Matthew Mitchell was one of the first immigrants to the United States in the 17^th century.

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Recorded in many forms including Machel, Matchell, Matsell, Mitchel, Mitchell, Michell, Mickle, Muckle and others, this is an surname of English and Scottish origins. Introduced into Western Europe by returning knights and pilgrims of the famous Crusades to free the Holy Land, it derives from the medieval Hebrew and Biblical name "Michel", meaning "He who is like the Lord". The name is first recorded in circa 1160, when one Michaelis de Areci appears in the Danelaw Documents of the city of London, and Michel de Whepstede in the Subsidy Tax rolls of Suffolk in 1327. The Royal Registers of England for the year 1219 have the entry of William Michel. He was paid three pence per day, probably now equivalent to 50 or $80, for keeping two of the Kings' wolfhounds. Other examples include Richard Mukel in the Hundred Rolls of the landowners of the county of Shropshire, in 1255, Agnes Mitchell who married Richard Freeman on June 24^th 1582, at St. Dunstan's in the East, Stepney, city of London, whilst Fanny Matsell married George Phillips, at St Leonards Shoreditch in the city of London, on August 13th 1792.

A coat of arms associated with the surname has the blazon of a black shield, charged with an escallop between three gold birds' heads erased. The first recorded spelling of the family name may be that of Gilbert Michel. This was dated 1205, in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northumberland, during the reign of King John of England, 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to develop often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Our Mitchell family including McMullen, Murphy, Haslip & Hosking Small numbers by a name refer to personal number in listing eg HENRY ^2 MITCHELL ~ see 2

GENERATION ONE:

1. ~ ~ ~ HENRY MITCHELL was born on 24 September 1812 in Putney, Surrey, England. He enlisted in the British Army at the age of 13 years in the 54th Regiment. He served 16 years 3 months including 14 years in India. His height 5'10", brown hair, grey eyes, sallow complexion, a good character, labourer. Henry was discharged in Dublin in 1844 then came to Otahuhu from Belfast, Ireland on the Fencible Ship Ann arriving in New Zealand on 16 May 1848. Henry became a founding pioneer of the settlement of Otahuhu in Auckland.

Henry had no family on board the Ann but shortly married MARY McMULLEN in at St Peter's Church in Onehunga, Auckland on 16th July 1848. Mary was born in Ireland and was the eldest daughter of MICHAEL McMULLEN and ELLEN McELVOY. She and her family also arrived in New Zealand on the Ann.

> Refer to the Royal New Zealand Fencibles for more information on families who came to New Zealand under this scheme, including the ships they arrived on and villages they settled.

> Refer to the McMULLEN family for more information about the family of Mary.

Children of HENRY MITCHELL and MARY McMULLEN were:

SARAH MITCHELL, born 07 May 1849 in Auckland.

MARGARET MITCHELL, born 07 February 1851 in Auckland.

BETSEY MITCHELL, born 28 September 1852 in Auckland.

HENRY ² MITCHELL, born 22 May 1855 in Auckland.

Henry died on 25 August 1901 at the residence of his son in Otahuhu. It was claimed he was the last of the Otahuhu Fencibles to have lived there continuously. Mary died aged 52 years on 20 June 1865. They were both buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery in Otahuhu.

From Deaths Pertaining to Early Auckland :

Last of the Otahuhu Fencibles - Mr Henry Mitchell, aged 89, an old and highly-respected resident of Otahuhu, passed away on Sunday morning.
Mr Mitchell was the last of the old original pensioners - the New Zealand Fencibles - who arrived in Auckland by the ship "Ann" on May 1st, 1848, and who virtually founded the present prosperous settlement of Otahuhu. Sergeant Heath, of Howick, who came to New Zealand by another vessel, is, as far as can be ascertained, the only survivor of these old colonists. The Otahuhu contingent, on its arrival at Otahuhu in 1849, numbered upwards of 70 men, all of whom have now joined the great majority. The late Henry Mitchell was born at Putney on September 14th, 1812. He enlisted at Chatham, in the 54th Foot, in September 1825 when he was 13 years old. He served 14 years in India under Colonels Fane, Yorke-Moore and Reid. He was discharged in Dublin in 1844, and arrived in Auckland by the ship Ann on May 1st 1848. Since 1849 he has lived continuously in Otahuhu. He leaves behind him one son, two daughters, and numerous grandchildren. The deceased was a most upright man, respected by all. He knew the meaning of the word "duty", and carried it out to the best of his ability throughout his long life.
(New Zealand Herald 27.8.1901)

GENERATION TWO:

2. ~ ~ ~ HENRY MITCHELL (HENRY) was on 22 May 1855 in Auckland and was the son of HENRY MITCHELL and MARY McMULLEN. Henry married ELIZA MURPHY in April 1884 in Otahuhu, Auckland. Eliza was born on 9 May 1863 in Otahuhu and was the youngest daughter of WILLIAM and JANE MURPHY. They had arrived in Auckland with their two oldest children on the Fencible Ship Ann in 1848.

> Refer to the MURPHY family for more information about the family of Eliza.

Children of HENRY MITCHELL and ELIZA MURPHY were:

GERTRUDE ANNIE MITCHELL, 1884 and died on 4 October 1887 aged 3 years. She was buried at the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Otahuhu.

NINA ELIZA ³ MITCHELL, born 28 October 1886 in Otahuhu, Auckland.

GERTRUDE JANE ⁴ MITCHELL, around 1889 in Otahuhu, Auckland.

JESSIE ELIZABETH MITCHELL, born 1895 and died on 17 October 1948 aged 54 years. She was buried at the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Otahuhu.

FREDERICK ANDREW MITCHELL, died 18th November 1883, aged 3 weeks and was buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery in Otahuhu.

WILLIAM HENRY MITCHELL, born 1890. William married ELIZA LETITIA MAY DRAKE and had three children Joyce, Neville and Trevor.

Henry died on 11 February 1922 in Otahuhu, Auckland aged 55 years. Eliza died on 19 January 1927 also in Otahuhu. They were both buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery.

GENERATION THREE:

3. ~ ~ ~ NINA ELIZA MITCHELL (HENRY > HENRY) was born on 28 October 1886 in Otahuhu, Auckland and was the second daughter of HENRY MITCHELL and ELIZA MURPHY. There is some confusion as to correct her name which shows as Nina Elsa per Birth Certificate, Nina Elsie per Marriage Certificate and Death Notice, and Nina Eliza per Headstone.

Nina married WILLIAM HENRY HASLIP on 18 May 1922 at St Matthias Church in Panmure, Auckland. The witnesses were William Mitchell and Gertrude J Mitchell. William was born on 16 August 1888 in Papatoetoe, Auckland and was the son of WILLIAM HENRY HASLIP and MARGARET JANE McLARNON.

> Refer to the HASLIP family for more information about the family of William and children of William and Nina.

4. ~ ~ ~ GERTRUDE ANNIE MITCHELL (HENRY > HENRY) was born around 1889 in Auckland and was the third daughter of HENRY MITCHELL and ELIZA MURPHY. Gertrude married EARNIST HOSKING in 1922.

Children of GERTRUDE MITCHELL and EARNIST HOSKING were:

o MARJORIE HOSKING, born 14 April 1925; died 10 October 2003 in Auckland.

o EARNIST HENRY HOSKING, born 1928.

Gertrude died in September 1964 and Earnist died in 1971.

Please note that in keeping with genealogy protocol I have not included information about later generations which may include living persons.
If you have a family connection please contact me for further information.

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