Donald Mitchell : The Scot

"A plowman at work with two horses" by Edmund Thornton Crawford. (Scottish, 1846) Oil on canvas.

Donald Mitchell is my 5th great-grandfather, from Scotland, the father of Dr. Archibald Mitchell.  

Donald was born about 1815 in Scotland.  I don't know the names of his parents or where he was born, I'm still looking for his birth record.

On February 23rd, 1838, Donald married Agnes McLean in Kilfinan.  Kilfinan is a parish in the county of Argyll and Bute.

Old Parish Marriage Registers, Kilfinan, National Records of Scotland

It reads, "February 18th, Donald Mitchell and Agnes McLean, both of this parish intimated their purpose of marriage for proclamation of banns, and were married 23rd current."

May 25th 1839, his daughter Agnes was born in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute.  Donald was working as a fisherman at Blue Hill.  I'm not sure where Blue Hill is, I haven't been able to find it on any maps of Scotland at that time.

Old Parish Birth Registers, Rothesay, National Records of Scotland

November 23rd, 1840, his son Archibald was born in Rothesay.  Donald was working as a ploughman at Kames.

Old Parish Birth Register, Rothesay, National Records of Scotland

There are two possible location for Kames.  Kames castle, just between Hillton and Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute. Or Kames Farm, which is located across the channel, nearer to Kilfinan(see first map).  

Donald's various occupations are seasonal, so it makes sense that he would have multiple jobs.  Especially since neither occupation provided much income.  It was common practice for Scottish laborers at that time to have multiple jobs. 

On June 6, 1841, the Scotland census records Donald's family living at Hiltown in North Bute.  Donald is not listed with them.  Where has he gone?  Perhaps he already left for Canada?  Or maybe he's just working and living elsewhere at the time.

1841 Census of Scotland, North Bute

Next, we find Donald living in Ontario, Canada!  He is listed in the 1861 census of Canada in Mariposa Township, with Agnes and Archibald, plus three more children, Margaret, Peter, and Mary.  His wife, Agnes, is not listed, and Donald is noted as a widower.  The three younger children are all noted as born in Canada, which means the family would have immigrated from Scotland before Margaret was born, in 1844.  Donald is a farmer and four of his five children are attending school.  The Mitchell family lived in a log cabin, 1 and a half stories tall on Conc. 7, Lot N14.  I could not find the family in the 1851 Census of Canada, and it may be because the census records for that year in Mariposa did not survive.

1861 Census of Canada, Victoria, Mariposa Township

1861 Agricultural Census of Canada

I'm still on the lookout for Donald's death information and burial location.  More to come!