OUR JAMES IS NOT THE ONE.....

We now have sufficient confirmation-- in my opinion -- to conclude that our James John Mitchell is not the brother of David Mitchell of Australia, father of Dame Nellie Melba. I reached this conclusion personally a few months ago after studying the 1841 Scotland Census. Details are elsewhere on this blog. Information now in our hands from Andrew Nicoll, national archivist for the Catholic church in Scotland, confirms our earlier conclusion. His work was done several years ago and was packed away then at his parents home when contacted by fellow Mitchell researcher Shari Cremer. In persuing more recently his email to Shari from 2002 I eventually found his current email address and he was kind enough to locate his stored records and share his conclusions. The facts are that the James in the William Mitchell-Ann Fraser family was born 26 August 1826 in North Meathie, Angus. He died 2 Dec 1991 in Shrigley, Ontario. His wife was Elizabeth Rodger. Our James was born in 22 Aug 1822 in Forfarshire (Angus) according to his obituary and grave marker. Ironically, both of these James went to Ontario from Scotland, both were from Angus, and both were born in August. We know from Genealogist Bourie that there were several James John Mitchells in Ontario at the same time. We have located the presence of our James in Carlingford, Perth, Ontario, right down to where they lived before they moved to Iowa. We know that the 1864 Will of Ann (Fraser) Mitchell listed a legacy to her son James at Port Union Station, Ontario. Bourie explained that Port Union was simply a postal center. Mail would arrive there and be delivered into the frontier. Ann was the mother of the other James and of David of Australia. The link to Canada was used in the past as evidence that it was "our James". It's worth noting that the William and Ann Mitchell family belonged to the Secession Church of Forfar-- the United Presbyterian Church. My next efforts will continue to be the Kincardineshire Mitchells as there was a James born "abt 1822" in that family (1841 Scotland Census) and in that family also was a David and a Peter which could be consistent with family stories. This is the first time I have located a James born in 1822. This search is difficult to say the least!!