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| John and Elinor Mitchel's tombstone at Forest Hill Cemetery, in East Derry, New Hampshire. From "Find A Grave" by D. J. Goldman |
Captain John Mitchell was one of the first sixteen settlers
to arrive at Nutfield in April 1719 with Rev. James MacGregor to found the town
that became Londonderry, New Hampshire.
He was a surveyor, and his name can be seen on deeds and grants given to
early settlers in the 1720s in Londonderry.
He served as selectman, and other town offices.
Captain John Mitchell died 10 August 1776 at age 80 in
Londonderry, New Hampshire. His wife
Eleanor (maiden name unknown) died on 16 March 1771 at age 74. They are buried in Section K, Lot 100 of
Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry, New Hampshire.
There was an unfortunate situation which took place in 1749 during
the pastorate of Mr. David MacGregor, son of the first Presbyterian minister,
Rev. James MacGregor. Captain John
Mitchell of Londonderry was arrested and imprisoned under suspect of having
asked for a ransom of five hundred pounds and threatening the life of Mr.
Jotham Odiorne of Portsmouth. Mr. MacGregor
attended the trial in Portsmouth in support of Mitchell, who was found guilty
and sentenced to pay a fine of one thousand pounds. Mitchell was kept in prison until he was
finally acquitted. [See Parker’s History of Londonderry]
Did John Mitchell have children? Who were his descendants? Or was he
childless? If you know the answer to
these questions please comment below or email vrojomit@gmail.com
Note: There appears to be a John Mitchell, Jr. (about 1713 –
1801) in some of the Londonderry town records, who was also a surveyor. This John Mitchell, Jr. did some surveying in
the Belfast, Maine area, too, where he received lots No. 1, 12, 21, 35, and
51. John Mitchell lived in Belfast until
the revolutionary war broke out, and settled back in Chester, New
Hampshire. [See this link: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-04-02-0233
] John Mitchell named his property in
Maine and his children in his will filed in Rockingham County probate – son Robert,
granddaughter Margaret, granddaughter
Elizabeth, grandson David, grandson John, granddaughter Elizabeth McFarland, daughter
Mary Patterson, daughter Elizabeth White, daughter Sarah Heath, daughter
Eleanor Wilson, and Hannah Huston. He
names his son Robert Mitchell, sons-in-law William White and Robert Houston
executors. [ PS. According to the History of Belfast, the
first couple married in Belfast, Maine was William Patterson and Mary, daughter
of John Mitchell.]
See the website http://dunhamwilcox.net/me/me_bio_wilson.htm for the Wilson family genealogy, which
mentions John Mitchell, Jr. of Belfast, Maine.
“John (2) Mitchell, father of Mrs.
Eleanor Wilson, was a son of John (1) Mitchell.
The last named was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and arrived in Boston
Aug. 4, 1718, with the Scotch Irish immigrants who came that year. He settled in Londonderry, N.H. His son John (2) was then five years old and
became a joiner by trade. In 1768 he
became the founder of the town of Belfast, Maine, where he cleared up land and
engaged in agriculture, and died in 1801.
He took up lots Nos. 1, 12, 21, 35 and 51. He married in Chester, in 1735, Elizabeth,
second daughter of William and Elizabeth Wilson. Children: John, George, Samuel, Robert, Joshua,
Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, Eleanor and Hannah.
The fourth daughter, Eleanor, was born in 1760, and became the wife of
Jonathan Wilson…”
See also History of the City of Belfast in the State
of Maine, Volume 2, by Joseph Williamson, 1913, pages 595 – 597 for
more about John Mitchell, Jr. and the founding of the town of Belfast, Maine.
-----------------------------
There was another John Mitchell, born in Ireland, who died
in 1749 in Londonderry. He was married
to a woman named Janet (maiden name unknown).
These two men do not appear to be related. Their children born in
Nottingham West (now Hudson, New Hampshire):
1.
Agnes Jane Mitchell, born 5 April 1734, died 18
June 1807 in Amherst, married William Hogg, son of William Hogg and Elizabeth
(maiden name unknown).
2.
Mary Mitchell, born on 13 February 1735, and she
married James Houston 7 March 1750/1 in Nottingham West. James Houston was born 1729 in Londonderry,
the son of Samuel Houston and Mary Cargill.
3.
John Mitchell, born 6 March 1741, died 21
September 1804 in Clarenceville, Quebec, Canada, buried at Aird, Quebec. Married to Margaret Hogg on 1 June 1767 in
Amherst, New Hampshire.
4.
William Mitchell, born 25 September 1744 in
Nottingham West, died 15 November 1815 in Acworth, New Hampshire. William married Martha Wallace, born 1739 in
Londonderry, the daughter of John Wallace and Janet Lindsey.
5.
Elizabeth Mitchell, born 5 June 1745
6.
Thomas Mitchell, born 21 March 1747, died on 24
April 1798 in Francestown. Married
Jeaney McInnes, daughter of Hugh McInnes and Martha (maiden name unknown) from
Merrimack.
Click here for links to the sketches of all sixteen first Nutfield settlers:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/nutfields-first-16-settlers.html
-----------------------------------https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/p/nutfields-first-16-settlers.html
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "MITCHELL – Descendants of Nutfield Settler John Mitchell", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 23, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/02/mitchell-descendants-of-nutfield.html: accessed [access date]).
