Alexander Mitchell

Alexander Mitchell, according the above family history, was born circa 1762/1765 in County Cork, Ireland (near Dublin) and immigrated to Pennsylvania (probably Newton Township, Cumberland Co) as a child on the same boat as his wife Mary. According to a distant relative in Hendricks County IN and Fleming Co KY, Mary’s maiden name was possibly RHEA, REA or RAY. Mary was born circa 1773. No record of their marriage, in either Pennsylvania or Kentucky, has yet been located. It is possible that the “Alexander Mitchel” found in the 1790 Cumberland Co PA census is the immigrant Alexander Mitchell. Further research might bear this out. According to the Cumberland Co (PA) Historical Society, the only early Alexander Mitchell marriage they have is an Alexander Mitchell and Jenny [Mary Jane??] Moorhead who were married in “1769” (date estimated by the preacher). As Alexander was born in 1760/1762, this union does not seem be ours. The 1850 Hendricks Co census [the first to record birthplace] records Alexander’s birthplace as “IRELAND”.

The family's first appearance in census records is in the 1790 Federal Census in Newton Township, Cumberland County, PA.  It records a family of three little boys under 16 and a mother and father.  The family’s second appearance is in the 1810 Montgomery Co KY census where Alexander and Mary had 8 children living with them.  Alexander and his family were found in the 1820 and 1830 Fleming Co KY census.  This agrees with information derived from the descendants of Samuel Mitchell, the oldest son of Alexander and Mary.  Samuel, born in 1788 in PA, lived and died in Fleming Co KY.  He and his wife are buried near Myers KY [near the Nicholas Co KY line] in the Old Mitchell Cemetery overlooking the Licking River. 

Alexander Mitchell / Ezekiel Mitchell Deed

Cumberland Co PA Deed Volume 1/Book P, Page 62

Dated 15 Oct 1791

In the above deed, "Alexander Mitchel and Mary his wife of Newton Township, Cumberland Co PA" deed to "Ezekiel Mitchel of said township, county and state" "for and in consideration of said Ezekiel Mitchel paying the whole and every part of the said Alexander Mitchell's half of the price of the land bequeathed to them the said Alexander and Ezekiel Mitchell by their father (who is Gavin Mitchell) in his latter will, remaining unpaid at their said father's death, thereby freeing and releasing the said Alexander Mitchel and his heirs and assigns from paying the said debt." The tract consisted of 100 acres of land, with allowances of 6 percent.

In the fall of 1832, with the expectation of free federal land to the north, Alexander and Mary left Fleming Co KY with their three sons William, Hiram and Solomon, crossed the Ohio River and migrated to Center Twp, Hendricks Co IN. Between September 21 and 28, 1832, these three sons had entered five land claims totaling over 480 acres of land in Center Township. President Andrew Jackson issued patents on these five tracts two years later in 1834. According to Hendricks Co IN census records, Alexander lived next to his son Hiram in 1840. In 1846, Alexander was one of the charter members of the Masonic Lodge of Danville, Hendricks Co IN. Alexander’s wife Mary died in 1847. By 1850 he had moved in with his daughter, Nancy (Mitchell) Gregg and her family. Alexander died on 15 May 1856 at the age of 94 in Center Township, Hendricks Co, IN and is buried next to his wife Mary in the Abners Creek Cemetery. Mary died on 4 May 1847 at the age of 74. Neither Alexander nor Mary’s obituary has been found in the local Hendricks County newspapers.

Mitchell Family came to Danville, IN area in 1832.

Article from The History of Hendricks County, 1914-1976 Chapter 4, pages 571-572 http://templin.rootsweb.ancestry.com/williec.htm