Thomas Mitchell (merchant) explained

Thomas Mitchell (1798–1871) was a Scottish merchant and ship owner in Glasgow.^{[1] [2]}

He was born in Perth, Scotland, 24 May 1798, the eldest child of Stewart Mitchell and his wife Jean Jack.^[3] The family later moved to Glasgow where he lived at Kingston Place, Govan,^[4] and later Parkview, Pollokshields.^[2] In 1860 his name was used in a case of forgery.^[5] Crew on the "Thomas Mitchell" are thought to have introduced the parasite Jiggers to West Africa from Brazil in 1872.^[6]

Ships built

He was a ship owner, naming ships after his children or his wife. One of his ships, the barque Flora Kerr carried settlers to the Australian colony in the 1850s. She caught fire and was wrecked in 1858 with the crew rescued.^[7] The Jane Jack Mitchell was wrecked off Calcutta in 1866 with loss of some of the crew.

Date	Name	Builder	Location	Note
1838	British Isle	Archibald P McFarlane Jnr & Co	Dumbarton	Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Barque^[8]
1840	Flora Kerr	Hedderwick & Rankin	Glasgow	Wood Sailing Vessel 3 masted Barque^[9] ^[10]
1848	Robina Mitchell	Archibald McMillan & Son	Dumbarton	Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship^[11] ^[12]
1851	Thomas Mitchell	Archibald McMillan & Son	Dumbarton	Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship^[13] ^[14]
1853	Margaret Mitchell	Archibald McMillan & Son	Dumbarton	Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship^[15] ^[16]
1855	Jane Jack Mitchell	Archibald McMillan & Son	Dumbarton	Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship^[17] ^[18] ^[19]

Personal life

On 9 October 1826 he married Florence 'Flora' Kerr^[20] the eldest child of Norman Kerr and Margaret Young.^{[21] [22]} They had three daughters: Margaret (1827–1885),^[23] Jane Jack (1829–1920) who married William McOnie, and Jemma (1831–1902).^[24] His second marriage on 1 November 1841 in Gorbals was to Robina Lochhead. He died 28 October 1871.^[25]

External links

• Thomas Mitchell at FindaGrave

Notes and References

1. Web site: Thomas Mitchell (1798-1871) . 3 February 2024 . Grace's Guide To British Industrial History.
2. Thomas Mitchell. 22/12/1871. MERCHANT AND SHIP OWNER IN GLASGOW, SOMETIME RESIDING AT KINGSTON HOUSE THERE, AFTERWARDS AT PARKVIEW, POLLOKSHIELDS, SPOUSE OF ROBINA LOCHHEAD. Scotlands People SC58/42/39
3. Web site: 3 June 1798 . Thomas Mitchell. Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 . Family Search.
4. Book: The Post Office Annual Glasgow Directory for 1849-1850 . William Collins . 1849 . 214.
5. News: 19 April 1860 . Clever Capture of a Forger . Stirling Observer . 4 . British Library Newspapers.
6. Morgan . E . 1922 . Notes on Some Diseases in South America Transmissible from Animals to Man . The Veterinary Journal . 78 . 12 . 453–461 . 10.1016/S0372-5545(17)52809-6 . Science Direct.
7. News: 12 April 1858 . Loss of Flora Kerr . Liverpool Albion . 22 .
8. Web site: BRITISH ISLE . 3 February 2024 . Clyde Ships.
9. Web site: FLORA KERR . 3 February 2024 . Clyde Ships.
10. News: 25 April 1840 . Launches . Shipping and Mercantile Gazette . 3 . Glasgow April 20. Launched from the building-yard of Messrs. Hedderwick & Rankin, at Kelvin Haugh, this day at half-past three o'clock PM, a splendid barque, named the Flora Kerr. She has a full poop, and will bear a comparison with any of our Clyde ships. She Registers 416 tons (N.M.) and takes the berth for Singapore..
11. Web site: ROBINA MITCHELL . 3 February 2024 . Clyde Ships.
12. News: 18 August 1848 . Launch at Dumbarton . 5 February 2024 . Glasgow Herald . British Library Newspapers . 4753 . At half-past two o'clock yesterday there was launched from the ship-building yard of Messrs. Archibald McMillan & Son a splendid new ship, of 563 tons register, named "Robina Mitchell", the property of Thomas Mitchell, Esq., ship-owner, Glasgow, which is intended to sail as consort to the "Flora Kerr" in the East India trade. She is to be commanded by Captain James McNidder (late of the Flora Kerr). The ceremony of christening was gracefully performed by Miss Jemima Mitchell, daughter of the owner, when the "Robina Mitchell" glided majestically into her destined element, amidst the cheers of a respectable concourse of spectators..
13. Web site: THOMAS MITCHELL . 3 February 2024 . Clyde Ships.
14. News: 21 February 1851 . Scotland . Greenock Advertiser . 4.
15. Web site: MARGARET MITCHELL . 3 February 2024 . Clyde Ships.
16. News: 5 November 1853 . Launch . 5 February 2024 . Paisley Herald and Renfrewshire Advertiser . 2 . British Library Newspapers . On Wednesday, at high water, there was launched from the building-yard of Messrs. A. McMillan and Son, Dumbarton, a fine ship, named the Margaret Mitchell by Miss Jane Mitchell, daughter of Thomas Mitchell, Esq., Glasgow, the owner. She is intended for the West India trade.
17. Web site: JANE JACK MITCHELL . 3 February 2024 . Clyde Ships.
18. News: 22 March 1855 . The War . Glasgow Courier . 4.
19. News: 27 December 1866 . Loss of the Jane Jack Mitchell . Liverpool Mercury . British Library Newspapers.
20. Web site: 9 October 1826 . Thomas Mitchell. Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910 . Family Search.
21. Web site: Antique Scottish Sampler, 1808, by Flora Kerr, Glasgow . https://web.archive.org/web/20240212180852/https://madelena.com/media13/antique/antique-sampler-22736.html . 12 February 2024 . Madelina.
22. Web site: 22 February 1798 . Florence Kerr, Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 . Family Search . Birth 22 Feb 1798.
23. News: 24 December 1858 . Marriages . Glasgow Herald . At Kingston House, on the 23d inst., by the Rev. John Caird, M.A., of Park Church, Alexander Fergusson, Esq., to Margaret, daughter of Thomas Mitchell, Esq.
24. News: 5 September 1851 . Marriages . Belfast News-Letter . British Library Newspapers . At Kingston House, Glasgow, on the 3d instant, by the Rev. Dr. Barr, of St. Enoch's, William Bell, Esq., merchant, Belfast, to .Jemima, daughter of Thomas Mitchell, Esq., merchant, Glasgow.
25. News: 4 November 1871 . Deaths . Renfrewshire Independent . 5.