This booklet has been written by Peter Mitchell of Christchurch, New Zealand, a great grandson of Samuel Mitchell (through Stewart Andrew and Vernon Ernest Mitchell). Most of the material here is taken from research I carried out in 1999 and which can also be seen on a website I created in September 1999. This website can be found at :
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~Sxmitch/
The booklet is intended to bring together in one place information about Samuel's life to act as a reference source for his descendants.
I have attempted to set out the the life that Samuel lived as a seaman, goldminer and farmer. The information provided here about Samuel's life has been derived primarily from official documents. Key documents in his life are attached as appendices to this booklet. Where there is no such documentation, and in particular relating to his return to New Zealand as a goldminer, then I have made certain assumptions as to what may have occurred but identified those in the text.
Most of the official documents referred to here are to be found in the Archives New Zealand offices in Christchurch and Wellington. The Christchurch office holds land and court records for the West Coast from the 19th century and the Wellington office holds military records and the coroners records for New Zealand.
I have also included a chapter titled "Unanswered Questions" which deals with questions I still have about his life and some tenative answers.
I would like to thank my wife Ximena for scanning photos and drawings and to thank my father Vern Mitchell for passing down the family lore and sparking my interest in Samuel's life. I would also like to thank Ross Pumphrey (son of Ruby Mitchell) of Auckland, New Zealand, for his invaluable assistance in supplying information and providing feedback. Ross and I have had many phone calls discussing theories and ideas and he has kindly shared all the information he has acquired relating to Samuel's life.
Unfortunately I have not being able to reproduce the photographs contained in this booklet in colour and so they are shown in black and white. Most of the photographs are on the website where they can be seen in colour.
My research for this booklet has taken me to Mikonui, Ross, Hokitika, Gillespies Beach, the Christchurch City Library, to Archives New Zealand offices in Christchurch and Wellington, and to the Australian National Maritime Museum and the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney.
Through my research on Samuel's life I found Pauline Abbott of California, U.S.A., who is a direct descendant of Samuel's older brother John. Pauline was born in Bedfordshire, England and maintains a house in Flitwick, a village not far from Aspley Guise where Samuel was born. She teaches in Southern California and has compiled a family tree of John Mitchell's descendants.She carried out research on Samuel while back in Bedfordshire on holiday in 1999 and kindly obtained Samuel's baptism certificate which is attached.
I'm very pleased to have found in my research the drawing in the Sydney Morning Herald of Samuel at 23 just after he was awarded the Victoria Cross. As far as I'm aware this is the first time this drawing has been published in New Zealand.
In the course of researching this material I have compiled a family tree of Samuel's descendants so far as I am aware of them. This family tree is attached as Appendix 8. I realise there will be omissions and errors and I would be pleased to receive any additional information. If people forward me their postal or email address I'll forward updates, say 6 monthly or yearly, with any new information that may come to hand about Samuel and Agnes or their ancestors.
Further copies of this booklet can be obtained from me for $10.00 to cover the cost of photocopying and postage.
If you want to send me any comments, suggestions, corrections or new information you can write to me at:
3 Lexington Place,
Christchurch 8006,
New Zealand
Ph: 00 64 3 3851 629
or send me an email at pmitchell62@hotmail.com
Peter Mitchell
Christchurch
New Zealand
September 2001