Thomas Mitchell (merchant)
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Thomas Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 24, 1798 |
| Died | October 28, 1871 (aged 73) |
| Occupation | Merchant |
| Known for | Owner of merchant ships |
| Spouse |
Florence 'Flora' Kerr
(m. 1826; died 1836)Robina Lochhead (m. 1841) |
| Children | 3 |
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]
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.[8][9]
| Date | Name | Builder | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1838 | British Isle | Archibald P McFarlane Jnr & Co | Dumbarton | Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Barque[10] |
| 1840 | Flora Kerr | Hedderwick & Rankin | Glasgow | Wood Sailing Vessel 3 masted Barque[11][12] |
| 1848 | Robina Mitchell | Archibald McMillan & Son | Dumbarton | Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship[13][14] |
| 1851 | Thomas Mitchell | Archibald McMillan & Son | Dumbarton | Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship[15][16] |
| 1853 | Margaret Mitchell | Archibald McMillan & Son | Dumbarton | Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship[17][18] |
| 1855 | Jane Jack Mitchell | Archibald McMillan & Son | Dumbarton | Wood Sailing Vessel 3 Masted Ship[19][20][8] |