William Mitchell (missionary) facts for kids

William Mitchell (born November 20, 1803 – died August 3, 1870) was a Church of England priest. He was the second person to offer religious services in the Swan Valley area of the Swan River Colony. He worked in the Swan Parish for more than 20 years. Later, he moved to Perth to work with prisoners in the Perth Gaol.

Mitchell was the first leader, or rector, of the Swan Parish. This large area stretched north to Gingin and Chittering. It went east to Toodyay and York. The southern part included Guildford and Midland.

Early Life and Missionary Work

Mitchell was born in County Monaghan, Ireland. He and his three brothers became orphans when they were young. He lived with an uncle and then with his grandfather in Dublin. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin. After this, he decided to become a missionary.

He trained to be a missionary in England. He was made a priest in 1825. In January 1826, he married Mary Anne Holmes. They traveled to India for missionary work. They had two daughters and a son there. Sadly, his wife became very ill, and the family returned to England. She passed away in March 1831.

Mitchell then met a teacher named Frances Tree Tatlock. They married in January 1832. They sailed back to India to continue missionary work. They had two sons, Blaney and Samuel. Blaney died when he was very young. Frances and the children returned to England in 1834. William followed in 1835 because he was also unwell. After getting better, he looked for new missionary work.

Coming to the Swan River Colony

In 1834, Frederick Irwin went to England to find priests for the Swan River Colony. A group called the Western Australian Missionary Society was formed. This group helped send Anglican missionaries to many of England's colonies.

In 1836, people in the Swan region wanted a clergyman. They felt they needed spiritual guidance. Louis Giustiniani was appointed first. He arrived in July 1836. He started a church and a mission for Aboriginal people. However, he was not very popular and left the colony in 1838.

Mitchell was chosen to take his place. He, his family, and a governess named Anne Breeze left England on April 1, 1838. They arrived in Fremantle on August 4, 1838.

Mitchell's eldest daughter, Annie, was 12 years old. She wrote about her first thoughts when they arrived:

Our ship arrived near Garden Island on August 4, 1838. We landed at Fremantle. The first thing we saw was a huge whale on the beach. Local Aboriginal people were cutting pieces from it.

We stayed in Fremantle for a week. Then we went to Government House in Perth. Sir James Stirling, the governor, and Lady Stirling welcomed us. We also stayed with Judge Mackie. After that, we went to Henley Park on the Upper Swan by boat. We then settled at the Mission-house on the Middle Swan.

Perth was mostly sand and scrub back then. There were no roads or railways to Perth. People traveled by boat on the Swan River. The riverbanks were full of green fields and flowers.

Only a few ships traveled between London and Western Australia. When a ship arrived, a cannon was fired. This let people know they could get their letters. About 700 to 800 people lived in Western Australia, mostly along the Swan River.

There was no church building yet. Services were held in the courthouse. The first colonial chaplain, John Wittenoom, led them.

People were worried about the local Aboriginal people. They sometimes attacked settlers. We were surrounded by them for months. Captain Grey gave us rice and sugar to give to them. This helped my father learn their language. One night, an Aboriginal person speared another. After that, the Aboriginal people left for a long time. White people usually traveled together because they were afraid.

The governor and colonial secretary often visited homes along the Swan River. People were very welcoming. They would even use bed sheets as tablecloths. Boots and shoes were hard to find. The governor's children went barefoot like everyone else.

Sometimes, we had no flour for weeks. We ate rice and salted pork. A leg of mutton cost seven shillings and sixpence. The only fruit came from ships arriving from the Cape of Good Hope.

Life in the Parish

The mission house in Middle Swan was bought for £150. It was built for the previous priest, Giustiniani. The house was made of mud bricks with a thatched roof. It is thought to have been near where St Mary's Church is today.

Soon after arriving, Mitchell started a school. Anne Breeze helped him teach.

A church in East Guildford, started by Giustiniani, was finished in 1839. It was named "St Matthew's."

On August 5, 1839, the first stone for St. Mary's Church in Middle Swan was laid. Governor John Hutt opened it 15 months later, on November 29, 1840. It was built to remember Lucy Yule. She was the first person buried at the site in 1838. The church was octagonal, meaning it had eight sides. It could hold about 100 people. It was used until 1869. A new, rectangular church was built next to it.

Before Mitchell arrived, church services in Upper Swan were held at Henley Park. Lay-preachers like Major Frederick Irwin or George Fletcher Moore led them. Moore often swam across the river to lead the service. The owners of Henley Park gave land for a church. It was named All Saints Church. Its first stone was laid on October 31, 1839. The church was finished on November 21, 1848. This church is the oldest still-standing church in Western Australia.

Within three years, Mitchell had helped open three permanent churches in his parish. At that time, Perth and Fremantle did not even have one.

In December 1840, Mitchell led the wedding of Anne Breeze and Henry Camfield at St Mary's. Henry was the Post Master General.

In 1842, the governor changed Mitchell's title from missionary to chaplain. He became the first rector of the Swan Parish.

Three more children were born to the family in the Mission House. This meant they had seven children in total, spanning 20 years.

In 1858, after 20 years in the Swan Parish, Mitchell moved to Perth. He and his family lived at the Deanery. He became the Chaplain of the Perth Gaol. He also served as chaplain at various hospitals in Perth.

In 1870, Mitchell returned from a short trip to visit his son Samuel. His youngest son, Andrew, died suddenly on May 31. Mitchell became ill and passed away in Perth on August 3, 1870, at age 66. He was buried at Middle Swan. His wife Frances died in Perth on July 1, 1879. Both are buried with Andrew at St Mary's graveyard.

Family

William Mitchell had children with two wives:

• First wife: Mary Anne Holmes (1803–1831). Married in 1826.
  • Annie (1826–1917). Married Edward Lane Courthope.
  • Susan Augusta (1828–1867). Married Philip Lamothe Snell Chauncy.
  • William Owen (1829–1914). Married Isa Izon Bickley.
• Second wife: Frances Tree Tatlock (1806–1879). Married in 1832.
  • Blaney (1832–1833).
  • Samuel (1834–1908). Married Mary Ann Bispham.
  • Francis Tree (1841–1894). Married Archdeacon James Brown.
  • Charlotte (1843–1922). Married (1) Frederick Parker. Married (2) John Adam.
  • Andrew Forster (1846–1870) (unmarried).

Images for kids

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  William Mitchell

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  Mitchell's second wife, Frances Tree Mitchell (née Tatlock)

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  Bishop Hale, Archdeacon James Brown and the Revd William Mitchell, early Anglican clergy in the Swan River Colony