.THE MITCHELLS FROM KITTERY A REPRINT FROM DESCENDANTS OF EDWARD SMALL AND ALLIED FAMILIES BY LORA AL TINE WOODBURY UNDERHILL Copyright, 1910, by Ada Small Moore All rights reserved CAMBRIDGE prinatdp tiJrintelJ at ~bt JRinersillt tJrtstS 1911 THE MITCHELLS · FROM KITTERY CHRISTOPHER 1 MITCHELL THE first mention of Christopher 1 ~Iitchell, of Kittery, Maine, appears in a Court Record as early as May 21, 1660.* This record proves that he then was of age; con­ sequently the date of his birth was not later than 1639. The Rev. Mr. Stackpole (who has written the History of Kittery, Maine) and others have tried to prove that Chris­ topher was son to Paul Mitchell, one of John Winter's men, on Richmond's Island. In_ the account of Winter's "Plan­ tatio~" on that island, in 1639, mention is made of "5s pd in to his [Paul Mitchell's] wife;" and in a list for which Paul Mitchell is "Debitor" appears £6 : 6 "for Commodi­ ties in ye house:" £14 : 6 "for wine:" £9: 8: 6 "for so much pd him by Mr Trelawne wth aduenture : " £0 : o : 11 "for sider & oyle;" £0 : 9 : 9 "for aquauite [aqua vitre] at his first Coming ouer." These iten1s indicate that Paul Mitchell had his wife with him, and probably was living in his own house. In a letter from Winter to Trelawny, dated "Richmon Iland, the 29th of July 1641," Winter appears to be troubled greatly by the "mens tymes" that "weare out" on May 10th, and later. Most of the men expected that immediate transportation home "should be ready against their tymes did expire after their 3 yeares servize." The men who promised to remain were "George Bunt, Booteson [Boatswain] & his son, Richard Fild, and Paul Mychell;" and they were "set about the rigging " of the new ship that was soon to be "lancht." t * Early Records of Maine, vol. 2: 324. t The Trelawny Papers: Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Second Series, vol. 3 : 182, 186, 282. Genealogy of Edward Small On .i\pril 6, 1643, "Paul Michell of Sheviock in the Countie of Cornewall, Sayler," was again indentured to Tre­ lawny and Winter. This lengthy contract shows that he first went on a "voyage to the Newfoundland." After his services with Winter and Trela,vny were ended, he settled at Saco, on the mainland nearly opposite Richmond's Island, where he carried on fishing.* He died in Boston; his death is thus recorded: "Paul Mitchell, a fisherman of Eng[land] d. in Boston intestate I 8th 9mo, I 6 53- '' t Administration was granted upon his estate, April 5, 1654, "by the County Court of Yorke." It was "ordered by this Court yt Robert Booth, Rich: Hitchcocke, Hen: Waddocke & Will: Scad­ locke, are impowered as administrators to take ye goods o: J0E- Hollicii, Roger Hunnewell, Paul Michaell & Jon Row­ land into yr hands & to receave all debts due unto Jon Sparke & Christopher Hobbs, wt they can make appere as justly due unto them, for there disburts upon yr fishing vioage & wt shall remaine in y0_r hands, you are to returne an account: yrof unto ye next County Court."+ This accounting refers solely to the particular fishing voyage in which the four men lost their lives, and the absence of references to Paul l\ifitchell' s wife and family leaves the searcher as much in doubt as ever.§ · * The Trelawny Papers: Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Second Series, vol. 3: 342-343. t Commissioners' Records of Boston, Massachusetts, vol. 9 : 42. + Early Records of Ma£ne, vol. I: 264. § The above meagre sketch is about all that can be learned of Paul Mitch­ ell and his family; it proves nothing concerning Christopher Mitchell and others bearing the name in neighboring localities. There is a tradition in Freeport among several families of Mitchells, descendants of Christopher, that he came to this country as a lad bearing the name of Beckwith; that he was adopted by a family of Mitchells and given their name ; and that valu­ able estates in England should be their inheritance through the Beckwith con­ nection. The name Beckwith does not appear early, either in Maine or New Hampshire, but Beck or Becks is common. These suggestions are made with the hope that some one will succeed in proving the origin of Christopher Mitchell, though the writer and others have failed. ·The Mi"tchells from Kittery 1297 The repetition of the names of John and William, for generations, among the descendants of Christopher J\1itch­ ell, leads one to think that Willian1 Mitchell,* of Newbury, Massachusetts, and Captain John Mitchell,t of Smuttynose Island (Isles of Shoals) in 1660, were related to Christo­ pher, -possibly were his brothers. They all may have been sons to Paul Mitchell. * William Mitchell, of Newbury, mar. Nov. 8, 1648, Mary Sawyer. He d. July 6, 1654, in Newbury. His widow, "Mary Mitchell Deposed to the truth of his inventory ... this 20° 7° 54 [Sept. 20, 1654]." She ·was mar., second, Dec. 8, 1656, to Robert Savory. ISSUE BY FIRST HUSBAND I. Mary Mitchell, b. Aug. 31, 1649, in Newbury. II. John _Mitchell, b. May 21, 1651, in N ewb~ry. III. William Mitchell, b. March 1, 1653, in Newbury. IV. Elizabeth Mitchell, b. Marcl:i 15, 1655, after the death of her father. Vide Essex County Probate, Docket 18531; also, Town Records of New­ bury, vol. I : 4, 9. t Captain John Mitchell mar. Sarah Gunnison, widow of Hugh Gunnison. In 1634, Hugh Gunniso.n was a vintner in Boston; in 1651, he sold his inn, called the "King's Arms," and his brew-house, and moved to Kittery, where he kept an "ordinary." He was Deputy to the General Court, and Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He was last mentioned July 4, 1659, and d. before July 20, 166o. His first wife-was Elizabeth-, who d. Nov. 25, 1645, leaving three children: I. Sarah Gunnison. II. Elizabeth Gunnison. III. Deborah Gunnison. Hugh Gunnison mar., second, May 23, 1647, in Boston, Sarah Lynn, widow of Henry Lynn, and daughter to William and Alice Tilly. In 1640, Henry Lynn was living at York, Maine. He d., 1646, in Virginia, where he had gone with a cargo, leaving his wife and four children at " Pascataqua " in a "very mean condition and very hardly able to subsist." The births of the four chil­ dren of Henry and Sarah Lynn are registered in Boston. A deposition made June 29, 1670, gives her age as fifty-one years. Hugh Gunnison had three children by Sarah (Tilly) (Lynn) Gunnison: IV. Hester Gunnison. V. Joseph Gunnison. VI. Elihu Gunnison. Sarah Gunnison was mar., third, about 166o, to Captain John :Mitchell, of the Isles of Shoals. He d., without issue, in 1664. His inventory was taken '' the 28: of May 1664;" total amount, £784: 18: 10. Sarah l\1itchell was mar., fourth, to Francis Morgan, a surgeon of Kittery; she was living in 1673. Vide Early Records of Maine, vol. 2 : 26g ; also, History of Kittery, Maine, by Rev. Everett S. Stackpole, 1903 : 477. 1298 Genealogy of Edward Small That Christopher l\iiitchell had a sister Katherine is proved by his appointment by the Court held "at Strawbury banke Novembr: 30: 1675 : " as "brother-in-law to John Searle de­ ceased, to take an Inventory of Searles Estate as the law directs & to make a true returne of his Actings yr /in unto the next Court of Associates houlden for ys County." At the next Court "houlden at Wells on the secund Tuesday of Septembr 1676: . Power of Administration" was granted "Christopher Michill of the Estate of his brother­ in-Law Jon Searle, deceased." The Court accepted his "returne . Dec em br : 4 : 77 : . & Michell [was] dis­ charged from his bonds."* The widow of John Searle had been twice married. Her first husband was "Thomas Warner, of Cape Porpus [Por­ poise]," who ,vas "sworn freeman, at Wells, July 5, 1653." In Boston, Thomas and Katherine Warner had a son Thon1as, born December 24, 1658. The date of the death of Thomas Warner, Sr., is not on record, but " John Searle & Katherine Warner widow were married 26th November by John Endecott Governor - 1661." t Their three chil­ dren were born in Boston, before 1667.f In 1668, John Searle was a citizen of Dover, New Hampshire, where he was drowned in 167 5 ; his wife again was a widow. Before 1665, Christopher Mitchell had built a house at " Brave Boat Harbor," in Kittery, as shown by the deed of " Francis Morgan Chiergeon [surgeon] " and his wife Sarah, the latter widow and "administratrix of the estate of Cap~ John Michell late husband of the sayd Sarah Deceased." This deed conveyed, April 22, 1665, to John Cutt, of Ports- * Early Records of Maine, vol. 2 : I 16, 309; vol. 3: 330. t Commissioners' Records of Boston, Massachusetts, vol. 29: 146; vol. 9: 65, 82. t Issue of John and Katherine" Sierle" (Searle) : - I. Elizabeth Searle, b. Oct. 19, 1662, in Boston; d. June 8, 1664, in Boston. II. John Searle, b. Nov. 19, 1664, in Boston. III. Ebenezer Searle, b. March 6, 1666, in Boston. Vide Commissioners' Records of Boston, Massachusetts, vol. 9: 85, 93, IOI. The Mz"tchells from Kittery I 299 mouth, "one Prcell of Marsh ground, scituate & being neare to Christopher Michells house at Bray boate Har­ bour . which land was formerly bought of one John Lander, by outcry."* A difference arose about the line bet,veen Christopher Mitchell's land and that of John Mitch­ ell's widow, which led to Philip Atwell, Christopher Mitch­ ell, and John Billings being summoned into Court "at the Poynt [Kittery Point] to ans\vere their tumultuous carages about the laying out & bounding a p/cell of Marsh-given -unto Fran : Morgan by execution." A month later, "10: 7: 72," Philip Atwell was fined "165 ••• for his contempt in Cutting of the lyne .