George Mitchell, Sorn

[sarah.p]

I'm trying to make sense of the Mitchells in Ayrshire.

My Andrew Allan Mitchell (1855) was born in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, but his father George (1825) was from Sorn, Ayrshire.

George's parents were:
George Mitchell and Jane/Jean Templeton, married in Sorn in 1822
I can't yet trace either of them.

George Mitchell (1825) was a widower with 2 surviving children, 2 deceased, when he married Elizabeth Allan in 1855 in Motherwell. George then died in 1857.

Is anyone else looking into Mitchells who could possible shed some light on this?

I've been trying census records but haven't made any headway - just found more Mitchells. Help!

[CaroleW]

In 1851 the only George Mitchell with that profile was living in Kilbirnie Ayrshire with his married brother John b 1824 Sorn but I can't see either of them in 1841

[hume]

Hi Sarah and Carole,

There are two christening entries on the IGI for children of George Mitchell and Jean/Jane Templeton; Mary, chr. 6th January 1828 at Sorn and sister Elizabeth, chr. 15th September 1833 at Irvine.

I think you have hit upon the right family for 1851, Carole. See this thread - http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,126654.0.html - and you'll see George's brother John had children with Mary Ann Dickie named George Mitchell and Jean Templeton Mitchell. Information on that thread also shows John & family emigrated to the States around the 1854 mark.

I think I've found John in 1841 - he's staying with his sister Elizabeth with the Hislop family in Sorn (aged 15, sister 13). Can't see anything likely for parents/George yet.

That 1851 entry shows George as widowed. Assuming the brothers stayed in Kilbirnie?, there is a submitted marriage entry on the IGI for the 22nd/28th March 1845 to Elizabeth Orr. Two children show also; Jane, born 13th April 1845 and Elizabeth, born 24th December 1850.

All need to be confirmed of course!

hume

[sarah.p]

Thanks to both of you. This certainly gives me something to go on.

I was really stuck trying to place the marriage especially - you've saved me a lot of searching. I hope.

[sarah.p]

I'm still trying to trace this family.

George died in 1857 in Dalziel, Lanarkshire. His son Andrew Allan Mitchell doesn't seem to have a birth record. He should have been born in 1854 according to his marriage & death records, but there is no corresponding birth for him. Did people fall through the cracks when the registries were centralized in 1855? I can't seem to find him at all. It doesn't help that I'm not sure whether his mother was Elizabeth Allan or not. I'd presumed so because he was known as Andrew Allan (as on his death record), but his marriage has no middle name.

Sorry for the ramble.

I'm now trying to find Andrew, mother Elizabeth (1827) and sister Janet (1856) on the 1861 Census and having no luck there either. They should by this time be in Lanarkshire, probably Dalziel or Motherwell.

[MonicaL]

Hi Sarah

It wasn't that registers were centralised from 1855, it was that 1855 was the start of official registration. Before this date, you did not have to register BMDs. The entries you find find before 1855 are from the Old Parish Registers, which related to the established Church of Scotland, i.e. Presbyterian. It can be hit and miss finding entries on the OPRs, depending on the religious denomination of the family, whether registers survived over time etc.

Monica 

[MonicaL]

Possible entry for 1871:

Elizabeth Mitchell 41, washer woman b. Newarthill, Lanarkshire
Andrew Mitchell 17, coal trimmer b. Motherwell
Elizabeth Mitchell 11 b. Hamilton

Address: No. 19 Low Patrick St, Hamilton

Monica

[MonicaL]

This entry for a birth might be for the Elizabeth, daughter, who shows in 1871:

ELIZABETH ALLAN Birth: 13 APR 1859 Bridgeton, Glasgow
Parents: ELIZABETH ALLAN