McManus 168

Full name

John Mitchell Esq. of Arngask

Date of birth

18-05-1803^[1]

Place of birth

Dundee^[1]

Gender

Male

Marital status

Married

Name of spouse

Mary Easson^[2]

Children

Mary b.1829^[3] Elisbeth b.c.1831,^[4] Isabella b.c.1832,^[5] Robert b.c.1834,^[6] Elizabeth b.c.1836,^[7] Anne b.c.1838,^[8] John b.c.1840.^[9]

Home address

8 Baltic Street, Dundee, 1829-1838.^[10]
11 Milnbank, Dundee, c.1842-1845.^[11]
4 Milnbank, Dundee c.1846-1850.^[12]
4 Fleuchar Craig, c.1853-1857.^[13]
9 Fleuchar Craig, c.1858-1860.^[14]
Pole Park House/5 Fleuchar Craig, c.1861-1872.^[15]
Arngask, Fife, c.1864-1881.^[16]

Age at death:

82^[17]

Place of death:

Arngask, Fife^[17]

Date of death:

07-06-1885^[17]

Buried:

Unknown

Religious affiliation

Unknown

Political affiliation

Unknown

Clubs / societies

Treasurer, Hilltown Weaver Lodge, 1834.^[18]

Public offices

Unknown

Related subscribers

Subscriber no.71 – Alexander Easson Esq. who was a fellow Cowgate merchant and possibly a relation by marriage.

Subscriber no.83 – G.T. Graham Esq another fellow Cowgate merchant and his son’s partner in Mitchell & Graham.

Subscriber no.139 – John Mitchell junior Esq,, flaxspinner was his son.

Subscriber no.215 – Messrs Henry Smith & Co. would become partners in the running of Pole Park Works and be John Mitchell’s successors there.

Occupation

Flaxspinner,^[19] Manufacturer^[20] and Merchant^[21]

Employment

Owner (employing 1500 men, women and children)^[22]

Place of work

Pole Park Works and 6 Cowgate, Dundee.

Work address

Union Street, Maxwelltown, Dundee, c.1829-1834.^[23]
11 Cowgate, Dundee, c.1840-1845.^[24]
Pole Mill/Pole Park Mill, Lochee Road, Dundee, c1844-1862^[25]
4 Cowgate, Dundee, c.1846-1859^[26]
6 Cowgate, Dundee, c.1861-1868^[27]
8 Cowgate, c.1869-1872^[28]

Career to date:

John Mitchell was the son of Robert Mitchell, manufacturer and Isabella Tawse.^[1][17] In 1828 he married Mary Easson, daughter of Robert Easson, manufacturer.^[2] By 1829 he appears in the local directory as a manufacturer in his own right with a factory at Union Street, Maxwelltown, Dundee.^[29] After 1837 he is normally referred to as a flaxspinner as well as manufacturer. In addition he is sometimes referred to as a merchant and by 1840^[30] he is occupying premises in the Cowgate, the traditional area for linen (and later jute) merchants to have their business offices.^[31] About the same time he moves his home address to the area known as Fleuchar Craig and is variously listed as being at numbers 10, 9 and 4, as well as at the neighbouring Milnbank. It seems possible that these are all descriptions of the same property and it would have been very close to the mill premises that Mitchell operated. Polepark Works were begun in 1834-36 and much expanded during the period of John Mitchell's ownership.^[32] It is probable that he employed a relation, Robert Mitchell, as his manager at the Pole Park/Pole/Polepark Mill/Works as it was variously known. Robert also stayed in close proximity at various addresses in Easson's Angle and Milnbank Road.^[33] In approximately 1856 Pole Park Mill is being run by J&R Mitchell & Co, 4 Cowgate, and a new manager, William Whyte, is in place. Robert Mitchell senior of J&R Mitchell & Co is now also living in Fleuchar Craig along with Robert Mitchell junior.^[34] About this time John Mitchell's address changes to Pole Park House,^[35] which was in the vicinity of his former home and certainly would have been very close to the company's works. The property was used as a nursery during the First World War and is currently used by Barnardos.^[36] The 1861 census calls the property Pole House, Balgay Street, which was another name for Fleuchar Street.^[37] On the census John Mitchell is described as employing 1500 men, women and children.^[22] Although Pole Park House continues as his Dundee home, John also acquires the Arngask Estate in Fife as evidenced by his description as John Mitchell Esq of Arngask at the time of his handsome donation of £50 to the Albert Institute in 1863.^[38]