Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

Mitchell or Mitchel family immigration from Ireland to America circa 1730's

I am Lisa Mitchell/Valdez from America and have been researching my family tree. I am hoping to come into contact with a descendant of my paternal family Mitchell on that side of the world. If anyone can help me with research on that end it'd be wonderful.

Andrew Mitchell(1730ish - 1795) born, we think, in Kilmey, Fife, Scotland. We have family lore and some family letters throughout the years that puts Andrew Mitchell, Possibly Squire Andrew Mitchell, coming to America from Limerick Ireland. He married Mary Margaret McGowan(1722-1765) who was born Limerick Ireland where she also married the above mentioned Andrew Mitchell in 1742, we think. Andrew Mitchell was the son of William Mitchell(1675-1776) of Scotland and possibly Elizabeth Ann McDonald(1680-?). We think they had the following children, David(born in Ireland, immigrated to the Usa), Elisabeth Mitchell Davis(born in Scotland, died?), John Mitchell(born in Scotland, 1727-1792) m, Agnes., Andrew Mitchell(1731-1795) m McGowan, America, William (1733-1795), Isabel Stuart Mitchell, Most of these children we believe eventually immigrated to America, but the first ones were John and Andrew and Isabel Stuart Mitchell. There is also family Lore regarding a "Scottsman" that was either close to this family or became close to this family both through shared experiences and marriage. I Believe this fighting Scottsman was Craige, a family that in the following generations marry the two families together. They both show up in America at roughly the same time and same area and their families have migrated west closely together. Another thing to note was that the Mitchell family like many others in the areas they lived were Presbyterian, they were some of the founders of one of the oldest churches in North Carolina. Anything beyond this I haven't been able to locate, I will eventually it would just be great to have familial verification on that side.

thank you in advance

Lisa Mitchell/Valdez

IrelandXO member

9 replies

Lisa,

You haven’t said what denomination Mary McGowan was. I looked at the records for Limerick City and the only denomination with any surviving records for 1742 is the Church of Ireland. 3 parishes in the city have records for that year. St John, St Mary & St Munchin. Those records are still held by the churches. They don’t appear to be on-line anywhere yet. You could write to them and ask for a search. (There’s usually a fee for that service).

If Andrew Mitchell was from Scotland then he could well have been Presbyterian, as you say, as that’s the most common denomination in that country. There was a Presbyterian church in Limerick, and a Congregational Church (which is very similar) but neither has any records for the 1700s. If Mary was RC then the couple would probably have married in the Church of Ireland as the RC church didn’t approve of mixed marriages at that time. There was also some uncertainty about the legal validity of mixed denomination marriages in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland then too, so many marriage couples defaulted to the Church of Ireland (which would marry anyone) to be sure their marriage was valid.

Note that Andrew’s year of birth and year of marriage don’t really tie in. If he was born in 1730/1731 and married in 1742 then he was only 11/12 when he married which is clearly not very likely. The accuracy of at least one of those years must be suspect.

I looked for a place named Kilmey in Fife but couldn’t find one. Nearest seems to be Kilmany. I searched on the Scotlandspeople site for a possible baptism in Fife in the period 1720-1730. There were 2 Andrew Mitchell Presbyterian baptisms in the county (1725 Kinghorn parish & 1729 Kingsbarns parish) but neither had the parents you have listed. Likewise no trace of Elizabeth, John, William or Isabel to the parents given.  There is an Elizabeth born 1724 to William Mitchell & Margaret Henderson in Inverkeithing, and William in 1731 to William Mitchell (no wifes name given) in Balmerino. I also searched for a marriage for William Mitchell to Elizabeth McDonald but did not find one. However not all parishes have records for that period so that’s not conclusive.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

The information I have for Andrew Mitchell is born unknow in Ireland. He died 1795? Orange co., N.C..  He settled in a Scottish/Irish Colony in Western Pennsylvania in 1752 and in 1758 moved to Orange Co. N.C.  Andrew married Mary McGowan who was born in Limerick Co., Ireland.  Their children were John, Mary, Susan, Jennie, James, Andrew, Margaret, Nancy, Hannah, and Elizabeth. At the bottom it states: Taken from Autobiographical Sketches of G. W. Mitchell.  Will dated 6/15/1790. Proved Nov, 1795.  I am looking for information on G. W. Mitchell and would like to find out who Andrew Mitchell's parents were.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.

I live in the US and my Great-Grandfather was Joel Andrew Mitchell 1867-1937.  He was a descedant of Andrew Mitchell.

My cousin and I are wanting to plan a trip to Ireland and would like to find out ancestors.

Thank you,

Donna

dfondren@kanokla.net

Hey guys. I'm Summer Mitchell, also living in the US. I'm a direct descendant from Andrew (8 generations). I don't have any contact with any of our ancestors over seas, but I do have a family tree from a dna kit I previously did.

Someone had asked about Andrew's parents. What I've found is his father was John Mitchell and his mother was Margaret Murray.

Hope maybe this helps. I just happened to find this website by chance and i think it's the coolest thing that we're all related somehow!

awesomekillerd…

Hi Summer!

Thank you so much!  That information got me one limb higher on my tree.

May I ask, who your Great Grandfather, Grandfather, and Father was and where they and you live?

My Grandmother was Nellie Jane Mitchell Gray, Great Grandfather was Joel Andrew Mitchell, Great Great Grandfather was Anderson McCreary Mitchell (all three in Oklahoma), Anderson Mitchell's father was Samuel Daniel Mitchell.  He homesteaded in Illinois and then moved to  Misouri  to live with his son Thomas Mitchell until his death in 1901..

I am in Oklahoma and so excited to find relations. on  here!  My Grandparents, George Sherman Gray and Nellie Jane Mitchell Gray's brothers and sisters were also Grays and Mitchell.  Grandpas brother Earl Gray married Grandmas Sister Mamie Mitchel Gray and Grandmas brother Hugh Mitchell married Grandpas sister married Bessie Enid Gray.  

I have a family tree printed that my aunt did several years ago and I'm trying to expand it.

Again, thank you for the information and if anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask.

I look forward to your reply.

Donna

dfondren@kanokla.net

So I'm a Mitchell from my mother's side. Her name is Sherrie Mitchell. My grandfather (deceased in 2001) was Franklin "Bud" Lee Mitchell. Great grandfather was Bennie Lee Mitchell.

Bennie's father was Joseph L Mitchell and Joseph's father was Anderson Mitchell.

We're all living in North Carolina. I have a cousin that has also delved into our family tree and putting it all together and somebody's story about the Scottsman piqued my interest. This cousin that has researched, has also found the Scottish roots. I remember them always coming by for Christmas and they were all wearing the kilts associated with the family.

awesomekillerd…

Squire had Ephraim, Ephraim had Noah and Noah had Anderson. I'm not sure if you or any relatives have a tree set up on like myheritage or ancestry, but I think they can be linked via code through the different platforms.

awesomekillerd…

On the Biography I found of Andrew Mitchell on WikiTree, (where I have started a family tree.  It's free to join.) It shows that Andrew and Mary McGowan Mitchell had a son Ephriam Mitchell 1753-1806 North Carolina..  Andrew and Mary also named their 6th born child Andrew and their first born son, John mitchel named his 2nd born son Andrew.

Andrew and Mary's shipped landed in Georgia, they settled first in a Scottish/Irish colony in Western Pennsylvania and then to North Carolina.

I do not have a child named Ephriam listed on my papers and there isn't a child named  Andrew on the Biography, So I'm wondering if it the childs name is Ephriam Andrew or Andrew Ephriam.  

Check out and possible join WikiTree.

 

dfondren@kanokla.net

Ok cool. I'll definitely check it out here shortly. Also, feel free to email me at awesomekillerdude@gmail.com and I can send you what I have on my tree. I have Andrew and 2 Ephraims (1753-1806 and then 1795-) and some of their branches. It doesn't look like I can attach a photo to this post or I would send it to you now.

awesomekillerd…

Hello, i am a decendant of Andrew and Mary! Below is some of what I have. I found this by accident looking for family in Ireland also! I have no geneological information on Andrew other than I am decended from him and he was from Limerick. 

Mary McGowan (Mitchell)

His wife

1720 - 1790

 

John Mitchell

His son

1760 - 1839

 

James Mitchell

His son

1765 - 1843

 

Hannah Mitchell (Owen)

His daughter

1761 - 1793

 

Nancy Mitchell (Kerr)

His daughter

1755 - 1840

 

Margaret Mitchell (Burns)

His daughter

1752 - 1836

 

Andrew Mitchell II

His son

1764 - 1824

The following branch is from Andrew to me

Adrew Mitchell I > John Mitchell> George Washington Mitchell> George Harrison Mitchell> Nelson Cathey Mitchell(Known as Doc around Mound Valley, KS)> Willard David(Davey) Mitchell> My Grandfather> my father> ME

Thank you

healbilly@live.com

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.