John Smith's Family Tree Website

 

Close up of Tijou Screen at Hampton Court Palace

Mitchell family

 

* * *

 

Part 3: James Bentley Mitchell (c1824 - 1896)

 

Early life and marriage to Elizabeth Lord

James Bentley Mitchell was probably the son of a Thomas Mitchell and was born c1824 in Todmorden, which is now officially in Yorkshire (the Yorkshire-Lancashire border passed through the town itself so both counties could claim it). It is quite possible his mother’s maiden name was ‘Bentley’ as many male descendants within the family carried a middle name that was their mother’s maiden name. [1]

James appeared to have been brought up by his Mitchell grandparents in Southowram. He worked as a dyer and married Elizabeth Lord (c1825 - ?) 22 January 1844 at St John the Baptist Parish Church, Halifax. Neither bride or groom could sign their name and James’ brother William was one of their witnesses. Like his brother, James’ bride was several months pregnant at the time of her marriage.

Elizabeth was born c1825, one of four known children of woolcomber Jonathan Lord (c1784 - ?) and Hannah (maiden name unknown) (c1795 - ?). She listed her birthplace as ‘Stansfield’ which was a township (rather than an actual village) around the Todmorden area, to the west of Halifax. [2] She grew up in Southowram and was baptised with her younger brother Abraham when she was about three at St Mary’s Chapelry in Elland, south of Halifax. Although there was never any mention on any official records, it is very likely Elizabeth worked in the wool industry as a teenager.

James and Elizabeth had twelve children: Hannah, Sarah, Emma, Martha Ann, Frederick, Mary Ann, Lydia, Amelia, Clara, Ada, George Edward and John Holt. The children were baptised in St John the Baptist Parish Church, Halifax, and all seemed to have had some schooling. The family lived with James’ grandparents for a time, moved to Halifax, returned to Southowram, then moved back to Halifax. James worked as a dyer for most of his life, except for a brief stint as an office porter when they were living in Southowram. He died in Halifax in 1896, aged 72. Elizabeth went to live with her daughter Amelia in Salterhebble and died sometime between 1901 and 1911.

 

Children of James and Elizabeth

Hannah (c1844 - ?) was baptised 09 June 1844. Nothing else is known about her and it is very likely she died in infancy as there is no confirmed record of her after her baptism. [3]

 

Sarah (1846 - 1930) was born 18 February 1846 and baptised 19 April the same year. She worked as a cotton piecer and a worsted reeler. She married fancy piece finisher Emmanuel Farrar (1845 - 1924) c1881. They had two sons: John Norman (1883 - 1958) and Harold (c1886 - ?). The family lived in Parliament Street and Abel Street, Halifax. Emmanuel died in 1924, aged 78, and was buried in King Cross Methodist New Connection Chapel, Halifax, 12 April in grave plot 281, section D. Sarah died in 1930, aged 84, and was buried in the same plot.

 

Emma (c1849 - 1920) was baptised 30 December 1849. She worked as a worsted spinner as a teenager. She married weaver John Malkin (1848 - 1893) 23 April 1870 at St John the Baptist Parish Church. They lived in Stoney Brow and later Whitegate, Southowram, and had eight children: Sarah Ann (1871 - ?), Rachel (1873 - ?), David (1875 - 1933), James Edward (1879 - 1917), John Wilfrid (c1883 - ?), Clara Elizabeth (c1885 - ?), Walter (c1887 - ?) and an unknown child who died in infancy. Emma was listed in the 1871 census as a ‘damask weaver’ but it is not known if she continued working as a weaver after their children were born. John worked variously as a table cloth, tapestry and silk weaver. He died in 1893 and Emma died 10 April 1920, aged 71, leaving effects valued at £42 (about £900 today).

 

Martha Ann (1850 - 1930) was baptised 17 November 1850 and as a teenager worked as a card lacer for worsted weavers, then a worsted weaver. She never married and by her 30s was self-employed making dresses and mantles. It is likely she had a steady source of clients as she was able to rent a two-room house in Horne Street, Halifax, without needing to take in lodgers, boarders or siblings to help financially. She died 27 February 1930, aged 79, leaving effects valued at £51 (about £1,700 today).

 

Frederick (1852 - ?) was baptised 26 December 1852. As a youngster he worked as a cotton broacher but there is no confirmed record of him after 1861.

 

Mary Ann (c1854 - ?) was baptised 08 October 1854. She worked as a carpet setter but there is no confirmed record of her after 1871.

 

Lydia (c1857 - ?) was baptised 18 January 1857 and as a teenager worked as a worsted spinner. She married cabinet maker James Bird (c1855 - c1925) at St John the Baptist Parish Church 16 May 1880. They moved to Huddersfield sometime in the mid-1880s and had four children: James Arthur (1882 - 1957), Edith (1887 - ?), Ernest (c1890 - 1892) and Evelyn (1893 - 1982). James died c1925, aged 69, and Lydia died c1935, aged 78.

 

Amelia (c1860 - ?) was baptised 20 May 1860 and worked as a worsted spinner. She married cabinet maker Samuel Wilkinson (c1861 - ?) 12 February 1881 at Holy Trinity Church, Halifax. They had seven children: Joseph Edward (1881 - 1923), Mitchell (1882 - 1948), John Willie (1884 - ?), Ada Beatrice (1888 - 1902), Edna (1891 - 1961), Harry (c1898 - ?) and an unknown child who died in infancy. The family lived in Southowram, then later Salterhebble and Halifax. Amelia and Samuel died sometime after 1911.

 

Clara (c1861 - 1936) was baptised 14 July 1861. She worked as a worsted spinner and a worsted reeler when she was young. In 1855 she married wiredrawer Edward Butler (c1863 - 1937). They had three children: Edith (1886 - 1963), Bertha (1891 - 1973) and an unknown child who probably died in infancy. The family lived in Northowram for many years but by 1911, they had moved to Halifax where Edward ran a grocery shop, the family living above the premises. Clara died in 1936, aged 75. Edward died the following year, 07 March 1937, aged 74.

 

More information about Ada (1863 - 1932) appears in Part 4.

 

George Edward (c1866 - 1943) was baptised 25 February 1866. He worked as a worsted doffer as a teenager but worked in a variety of occupations as an adult. He married Kate Askew (1865 - 1947) at St John’s Wesleyan Chapel, Halifax, 30 October 1889. Kate had been born and brought up near Chesterfield, Derbyshire. It is not known why she moved to Halifax. Fifty years after their marriage, the ‘Halifax Courier’ edition of 28 October 1939 mentioned all the marriages that had been reported that week fifty years ago, including George and Kate’s. They had five children: Cyril (c1890 - ?), Mary (1894 - 1969), Gladys (1896 - 1956), Willie (c1899 - ?) and Charles Leslie (c1904 - ?). All the children, except for Charles, were born in the Halifax area where George was known to have worked as a wood sawyer. However, he was not at home with the rest of the family on census night in 1901. Charles was born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, which was where George would be found boarding seven years later in 1911 while he worked as an assurance agent. The rest of the family were in Halifax. By the time of the 1939 Register, taken on the eve of World War II, George and Kate were living together in Halifax with two of their grown-up children and George was a retired labourer. He died in 1943, aged 77, and was buried 04 August at King Cross Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in grave plot 55, section F. Kate died in 1947, aged 82, and was buried with her husband.

 

John Holt (1868 - 1869) was baptised 14 Mary 1869 but died within a few months.

 

Next: Ada Mitchell


Footnotes

[1] A family tree chart belonging to the Womersley family suggests James Bentley Mitchell was born c1815 in Siddal to James Mitchell and Mary Bentley but there is no documentary evidence.
[2] A Vision of Britain Through Time website (www.visionofbritain.org.uk)
[3] The aforementioned family tree suggests Hannah married someone from Eastwood, Todmorden, and had four children but there is no confirmed evidence.