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Post by zibetha on Jan 9, 2011 13:35:02 GMT -5
I'm looking for parents/siblings/earlier relatives of my 3rd great-grandfather, John Mitchell b: 1853. John was the son of John & Mary. He married Bessie (Elizabeth) Sampson of Phillack, daughter of Joseph Sampson (Phillack) and Amelia Williams (Ludgvan?).
I think John arrived in the US in 1875 -- per my grandmother and census record, he came through Canada to Houghton, Miichigan , later settling in Iron Mountain, Michgan. The common thread in my US family is, of course, the mining industry.
John and Bessie's children were Benjamin John b 1873 in St. Cleer, the rest were born in Michigan: William John (1877), Horton Henry (1878), Edward a/k/a Edwin Joseph (1881), Albina V (probably Viola) (1883), James (1886), Arthur (1889), Charles (1890) and Russell Clyde (1898).
P.S. The world is a small place. Charles' son Russell Mitchell served in World War II along with William Trewhella Paull from Montana, a descendant of my 4th great-grandmother Anne Trewhela's brother, Benjamin.
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Jan 10, 2011 4:31:50 GMT -5
Well Zibetha - finding the right family for John Mitchell is not going to be easy! The first thing we have to do is to sort our way through the maze of lies, mistruths or just plain errors that I have found in the last several hours searching. For example - in 1900 John and Bessie both state that the arrived in the US in 1875 and they state they have been married for 28 years. That means they must have married in England about 1872 yet no such marriage can be found. Take a look at the 1910 Census and we have a totally different kettle of fish. John says he arrived in the US in 1884 and Bessie says she arrived in 1879. But this time they say they had been married for 34 years! In actual fact John Mitchell and Bessie Sampson were married at Franklin, Houghton, MI November 27th 1876. Now - Benjamin Mitchell married Eva Brooks at Iron Mountain October 31st 1896 and stated that his parents were John Mitchell and Bessie Sampson, that he was 22 years old and that he was born in England. This puts his birth at about 1874 which is two years before John and Bessie were married. That in itself is not a great problem except that if he were the son of Bessie then he did not arrive in America with her! Bessie appears to have arrived in New York aboard the 'Adriatic' in May 1875. But here we run into more confusion, lies, mistruths, errors etc. The ages of a number of the children are incorrect, Joseph Sampson's age is 55 and should be closer to 60 but the big problem is that his wife Amelia is recorded as MARY! The names of the Sampson children on this voyage fairly much agree with those found in the 1871 Census at Phillack but son Edwin is age 7 - the same age he was five years earlier in the Census! I have checked and there seems to be only one Edwin in the 1871 Census who is close enough in age to be on this passenger list and also only one Edwin Sampson birth record that might match. A lot of work to be done before we can really tackle the problem of John Mitchell I think. However, it appears that Amelia was the second wife of Josiah/Joseph Sampson. Based on her age she cannot possibly have been the mother of William Sampson who was born about 1836 when she would have been about 12. And although I cannot find the marriage in a register as yet it does appear in FreeBMD for 1846 by which time Josiah/Joseph already had at least three children. I believe his first wife was Jane Luke but I still need to confirm that. And from what I have found in US records Amelia was most likely the daughter of John Williams and Rebecca Calf who married at St Hilary in 1816 at which time both were residing at St Michael's Mount. In one Census record Amelia states she was born at St Michael's Mount while most other years she said she was born at Ludgvan. But John and Rebecca seem to be living at Ludgvan in 1841 so I guess either scenario is possible. Also - Joseph Sampson died in 1879 at Franklin, Houghton, MI and Amelia then married Richard Bennett at Menominee, MI in 1888. Her age is incorrectly recorded as 55 but the record of her death in 1899 at Iron Mountain shows she was then 71. The death record also shows her parents as Thos. Williams and Rebecca however I believe this to be an error and her father was John. (Not unusual to find errors like this on death records.) Many more questions than I started with I think! I will try and do some more work on this over the next couple of days. CT
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Jan 10, 2011 4:44:03 GMT -5
I am very interested to know how you arrived at the conclusion that William Trewhella Paull was a descendant of Benjamin Trewhela? The reason I would like to know is that I can prove absolutely that the conclusion is incorrect. We can discuss this further in the Trewhella section but if you can let me know what information you have that led you to that result then I will help you sort things out. BTW - I met Bill Paull and his second wife Barb when I was in Montana back in 1994. CT
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Post by marychown on Jan 10, 2011 7:48:58 GMT -5
'And from what I have found in US records Amelia was most likely the daughter of John Williams and Rebecca Calf who married at St Hilary in 1816 at which time both were residing at St Michael's Mount. In one Census record Amelia states she was born at St Michael's Mount while most other years she said she was born at Ludgvan. But John and Rebecca seem to be living at Ludgvan in 1841 so I guess either scenario is possible.'
I had not realised that John and Rebecca (nee Calf) Williams had a daughter called Amelia Williams. I too am interested in this family, because if Amelia is their daughter, she is the granddaughter of Philip Calf and Rebecca Calf (widowed Carter nee Ford - later Rebecca Trannack). I have spent years trying to sort out this family - Philip Calf and Rebecca being my gggggrandparents. I only recently ascertained the correct origins of Philip Calf, who proved to be very elusive.
I believe that John Williams and his wife Rebecca nee Calf had three sons - Thomas Williams born ca 1816 (no baptism record yet found); John Trannack Williams baptised Marazion 15 Aug 1824 and Francis Trannack Williams baptised Marazion 31 July 1831. From my own research, Philip Calf and his wife Rebecca lived on St. Michael's Mount (Philip calf was buried there on 16 Aug 1791 aged only about 32). So it is most likely that daughter Rebecca Calf who married John Williams was also born on St. Michael's Mount. Her sons John Trannack Williams and Francis Trannack Williams were baptised at Marazion so probably also born on the Mount - so it is very likely that their other children were also born there. In the 1851 census Rebecca Williams is recorded as having been born at Ludgvan, but in the 1871 census her place of birth is recorded as being St. Michael's Mount - which I would say is her correct place of birth. In the 1851 Census Rebecca and John Williams are living at Newtown, Ludgvan with sons Thomas, John and Francis. In the 1871 Census Rebecca is a widow and living at Long Rock, Ludgvan parish with her son Thomas, his wife Mary and daughter Susan.
After Philip Calf's death in 1791, Rebecca Calf (mother of Rebecca Calf who married John Williams) married John Trannack at St. Hilary on 13 May 1793. According to Jane Mason in her book 'The Mount People', John Trannack was a prisoner of the French during the Napoleonic Wars. He was impounded at Verdun in 1811. In the 1841 census John and Rebecca Trannack are still living at St. Michael's Mount. Rebecca Trannack was buried at St. Michael's Mount on 25 Dec 1849 aged 91. John Trannack was buried at St. Michael's Mount a short while later on 29 Jan 1850 aged 85.
Mary
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Post by zibetha on Jan 10, 2011 13:28:52 GMT -5
Thanks for all the good information; I am really impressed!
I never knew any of my Sampson relatives, they seem to have scattered throughout the Upper Peninsula. I have a pretty good grip on my US Harveys and Mitchells, though.
I just found Bessie (my great great-grandmother, so I'll use her as a reference point) Sampson's parents' names this summer and realized that they came to the US as well. I just didn't know they stayed here or about Amelia's 2nd marriage. I think that William, John and Josiah are indeed children of Jane Luke and Joseph/Josiah Sampson. That still leaves Amelia with 15 or 16 of her own! I pity the census-taker.
The names and ages are pretty inconsistent from record to record; James and Edwin seem to trade ages/family position a couple of times. I knew this was the right family becasue Bessie named my great-grandmother "Albena." like her sister.
I think the "Mary" on the Adriatic was Amelia -- don't know if Mary is possibly her first or middle name or if it's just a clerical error. I estimate her year of birth at about 1825?? I think that the infant "James" may have been Bessie's son, Benjamin John, since, yes, he was born in England and his parents married in Michigan. He had to get here somehow.
I know Henry came to Houghton, Michigan before the rest of the family, and his brother, Richard, and family lived with him for awhile.
If I've got it straight, Bessie's half-brother John married an Elizabeth Ann Mitchell, daughter of George-- I might still get my Mitchell connection out of this!
Greatly appreciate your help-- Zib
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Jan 10, 2011 20:14:53 GMT -5
Ah - yes, the old let's record our illegitimate grandson Benjamin on the passenger list as James trick! I had noticed young James down there but it did not occur to me that you might refer to Benjamin as 'James'! If I get time tonight I will try to get all the Sampson family entered into my database so that I can 'see' them a little more clearly. It is a fair tribe and I already know that some of the baptisms will be difficult to locate but it will make things less confusing once done. I have downloaded all the Census images as well as the Michigan marriage and death records that I have found so far. Once that is all done I will have another look to see if I can identify where John Mitchell fits in. CT
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Jan 10, 2011 20:49:38 GMT -5
Mary - here are the details from the marriage record which, being from FamilySearch, I believe is a little 'padded' in regards to surnames! Richard BENNETT age 53 married Emilia SAMPSON or WILLIAMS age 55 at Menominee, Michigan 3rd September 1888 Groom's parents - Jerimiah Bennett, Annie Wicks Bride's parents - John WILLIAMS, Rebecca CALF Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995 Emilia's age is incorrect here and she would in fact have been about 60. The Death record for Amelia Bennett gives her age more correctly but the parents are not quite right! Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995 Amelia BENNETT female Death date - 26th March 1899 Death place - Iron Mountain, Dickinson, Michigan Age - 71 Birthplace - Cornwall, Eng. Race - White Marital status - married Father's name - Thos. WILLIAMS Mother's name - Rebecca Both these records can be found in the new FamilySearch. CT
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Jan 10, 2011 21:12:10 GMT -5
Mary - I don't want to divert this thread anywhere it should not go but as this part of your CALF family is connected then I am sure Zib will be interested also. Marazion Baptisms 1813-1840 (c) Genealogy Supplies (Jersey) Ltd Elizabeth Calf Williams d/o John & Rebecca 26th June 1816 Rebecca Williams d/o John & Rebecca 12th November 1818 Thomas Williams s/o John & Rebecca 20th November 1820 Lydia Williams d/o John & Rebekah 6th August 1822 John Tranock Williams s/o John & Rebekah 15th August 1824 Amelia Williams d/o John & Rebekah 4th September 1826 Francis Trannack Williams s/o John & Rebekah 31st July 1831 In all events John was listed as a 'mariner'. I am sure that will help just a little bit. Maybe you will find these (same file as above) of interest also. Mary Anne CALF d/o Philip & Mary 17th July 1815 (Sailor) Rebecca CALF d/o Philip & Mary 4th May 1817 (Mariner) Amy Tranock CALF d/o Philip & Mary 8th February 1822 (Mariner) I will throw in a couple more (Free of Charge ;D) - from St Hilary Baptisms 1699-1840 (same supplier as above) Elizabeth CALF d/o Philip & Rebecca 22nd October 1783 At Marazion Arabella CALF d/o Philip & Rebecca 11th December 1785 At Marazion Philip CALF s/o Philip & Rebecca 3rd April 1788 At Marazion REBECCA CALF d/o Philip & Rebecca 16th August 1791 At Marazion CT
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Post by marychown on Jan 11, 2011 4:17:39 GMT -5
CT, many thanks for all the additional information you have provided me with on the family of John Williams and Rebecca Calf, as well as their daughter Amelia Williams. I can now update my family history records.
Hello and welcome Zib. You and I are connected through the Calf/Ford families - you being descended from Philip Calf and Rebecca (nee Ford, widowed Carter, widowed Calf, later wife of John Trannack) via their daughter Rebecca Calf who married John Williams and I being descended from their daughter Arabella Ford Calf who married William Hill. I have done quite a lot of research into the lineage of both Philip Calf and Rebecca Ford going back to the 17th century, so if you would like information from my family history records, please contact me. My e-mail address is MChown@AOL.com
All the best,
Mary
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Post by zibetha on Aug 28, 2011 4:35:12 GMT -5
I'm back to my mystery man, John Mitchell. I have a date of birth May 20, 1853 from his death record and parents John and Mary of "England" provided by his son, Hort (Horton Henry) Mitchell, but never found any other records that matched that birth date. However, recently I've found a baptism record at Accrington, Lanchashire, UK indexed for a John Mitchell born March 20, 1853 to (lo and behold) Benjamin (John's oldest child = Benjamin John) and Mary.
There is an 1871 census record for Benjamin Mitchell, Lancashire, commercial Traveller born Gwennap. There's also Benjamin a merchant's clerk (1861) lodger in Liverpool, Lanchashire, but he's listed as unmarried.
Just wondering if anyone here is working on Mitchells of Gwennap and might have information that would help me sort this out.
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Aug 28, 2011 12:42:45 GMT -5
Zibetha - I can find no trace of Benjamin Mitchell in the 1871 Census on Ancestry. At least not a Benjamin born at Gwennap who is in or near Lancashire. Could you supply some additional details to help me track down that entry so that I might be able to try and find out a bit more about him please. CT
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Post by zibetha on Aug 28, 2011 15:27:49 GMT -5
It's on Piece 3804, Folio 93, p13 of the 1871 Census. Bemjamin is listed as head of household No. 49 in Toxteth Park, Liverpool.
I might start a list of how many ways to mispell Gwennap Gwernaf Gurnnah....
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Post by Cornish Terrier on Aug 29, 2011 5:33:34 GMT -5
Thanks Zibetha - I eventually found it. I have been looking around some more to see if I can pin the family down for you but so far with only mixed success. Some Online Family Trees on Ancestry have provided some clues but they have also proved once again that they should be used only for that - finding clues! One of them has John and Bessie Mitchell living in England in 1881 ............................... at the same time they were having a child in Michigan! This one also shows that first son Benjamin was born at St Cleer in Cornwall but once again I believe that to be totally incorrect. A search of the 1881 Census for England shows a family of John and Elizabeth Mitchell at St Cleer but from the list of their children this couple had been married for at least 20 years! Son Benjamin age 9 is there with his birthplace recorded as St Cleer. Now checking FreeBMD and March Qtr 1873 Liskeard R.D. is the only possible entry for this child. The one thing of use I did find from this particular Tree was a link to the Ancestry Collection of Word War 1 Draft Registration Cards. And in this lot we have the Card for Benjamin MITCHELL who names his next of kin as wife Eva. I had already checked and found that Benjamin married Eva Brooks at Iron Mountain in 1896 so I know this is the right man. He stated his date of birth on the Draft Registration Card as February 7th, 1873 and this also mirrors the information provided in the 1900 Census. There are only two possible entries in FreeBMD for a Benjamin Mitchell born in the March Qtr of 1873 and the first is the one above from St Cleer. This then means that Benjamin must be the one registered in the Bradford R.D. in Yorkshire Vol 9b Page 1. So with Lancashire and Yorkshire being neighbouring Counties there is a tentative link to the 1853 baptism of John and to the 1871 Census record for Benjamin and Mary. The one thing that is really annoying me is that I can find no trace of the marriage of John Mitchell and Bessie Sampson. Oops! - belay that .................. I just looked back at an earlier post and see that I had already found that marriage - in Michigan in 1876! I see also that Benjamin did not arrive in America with Bessie so I might need to do some more thinking. CT
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Post by tonymitch on Aug 29, 2011 6:09:46 GMT -5
I can't find it either, but then again neither can I find my socks.
However, this little interruption is concerning the misspelling of Gwennap. Don't be too hard on the Scouser who tried to spell the place. Just over the water from Liverpool in Wales is the small village of Gwernaffield. Try saying Gwennap in a Cornish accent and you don't end up too far away from Gwernaffield. (Linguistically if not geographically)
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Post by zibetha on Dec 3, 2017 23:48:09 GMT -5
Recent threads re: DNA matching (thanks, Robyn and Blinky) have had me revisiting my matches and what I know about John Mitchell. I have been puzzled by 2 matches to women in Australia that I could not match to my tree but who share a common relative on their trees- Mary Ann Michell, daughter of Thomas Michell and Elizabeth Banfield. About a month ago, I received DNA matches to a mother/daughter/nephew in Upper Michigan who weigh in at 4th-6th and (daughter) 5-8th cousin level with Jacka ancestors. I don't have any known Jackas in my lines, but as I worked on these matches, I found they were descended from Susannah Michell 1781 of Gwennap and her husband, William Harvey.
The John Mitchell born in Lancashire's birth record was incorrect and amended on MARCH 20 1853 to correct his mother's name -- Mary instead of Elizabeth. My great-great-grandfather's death record states his parents were John and Mary. Maybe at least one is right. Daughter Albina's birthday was May 20th which was stated as John's on his death certificate.
The Benjamin Mitchell who lived in St Cleer appears to have stayed there; that would mean information given to "cousins" by the LDS was not correct. I can live with that.
Anyway (and thanks to "Tonymitch" for the reference to the Devon-Mitchells database) I feel fairly confident that my Mitchell family was from Gwennap.
Zib
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