A PIONEER PASSES.
FOUNDER OF MITCHELLTOWN. i t SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. The death of Mr. Henry Mitchell, a very old resident of Wellington, occurred at the residence of his nephew (Mr. Frederick Mitchell), in Abel Smith Street, nt 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening. Tho lato Mr. Mitchell, who was eighty years old, was born in Yorkshire,%and came out to Wellington with his parents (the late Mr. and Mrs. John Mitchell) and his brothers, in the ship Gertrude in 1811, The passengers from tho Gertrude weTO landed at Kaiwarra, and shortly afterwards proceeded to Thorndon Flat, where tho depot stations of tho Now Zealand Land Company were situated (afterwards tho site of Sir Charles Clifford's residence). After some years of pioneering in and about.tho settlement, the family, In 1850, moved out to Tawa Flat, where a farm had been taken up. There they stayed for three or four years, when tho farm was Eold, and the family returned to Wellington to enter into possession of a 100-acre property (No. 10 section), in Polhill Gulfv, which had been purchased for iCSO0 —at*JE5 per acre. About.-the 6ame timo another 100-acre allotment in Upner Kaiwarra was purchased for <£300. The family then went into tho firewood business, and contracted for supplies to H.M. troops stationed at the settlement, until tho declaration of tho famous "Self Reliance" policy was promulgated, and tho troops wero withdrawn. These were exciting times; it was tho settlers'first experience' of tho turmoil of political controversy, when the "self-reliants" wero clamouring, noisily: "Take your troops away, and wo'll do our own fighting;" and tho opposition' as noisily clamoured'for the retention of the soldiers. Cameron was a "big" man then, but:tlie "self-reliants" declared that ho knew nothing of savage warfare, and insisted that he should be recalled, with his troops. All tho .able-bodied wero enrolled in tho militii, and regularly drilled. Three of • Henry Mitchell's brothers saw service in the Maori war, William,"tho eldest, being employed as a dispatch rider. _ Henry himself, although he went to' drill, was not. called, upon to serve. About this time it was realised that tho firewood' and ' slieep-farming business of the Mitchells did not afford sufficient scope for the energies of the whole family, and after a series of negotiations, Henry ultimately purchased tho interests of the others and carried on the business ."up the gully" 1 himself. Shortly after/ ■the corporation took part of the property for water" supply purposes, and -its owner realised that the balance could be put to better purpose than that of a sheep farm. He cut" up his land for building sites, and erected 30 oottagcs ; varying in size from three rooms and scullery, to ten rooms. It; was a "working man's -village" promoted 9omc time, after to tho dignity of a suburb and appropriately designated , Mitchelltown. Another slice of the farm •was.sold to a Mr. Tait, who founded Tait;ville, find by degrees: tho remainder of. the. property was disposed of, nnd the "Gully", rapidly built on, and populated. Streets,'jvere formed, and the first small beginning of the era of local politics were inaugurated in a meetinir of the-leading men of,.the' district, held in Mr. Mitchell's oid shearing shed. Mr. Mitchell presided, and the meeting resolved that the'community' should bo named Mitchell? town, and thnt the main thorotighfares be henceforth known as Holloway Road andHiehburyßo'ad; t Then began the .serious business of local .government. A school was wanted, and after long and persistent agitation, grant-. .. ed. Mr. Mitchell was closely identified With the school for nianv years," and was a member of the first school committee)the chairman J. Collins. One of the firct' gifts to tho school was tho .emblem of punctuality, to wit, a clock, 'presented by Mr. Mitchell.'., / •" After vtlie death-of his wife, ,who prejdoci'ased'lrim.by about 23 years, Mr. Mit-' . 'eliell 1 ."old his 'homestead on Mount Pleas- ■ aut. fronting tho Upper ICaiwnrra Rc-idl' .came to' liy-e in town.' His health, '.•'..bfaaji ,to -fail. scin 'after; and lie retired, [;fvonr, active work.
• Mr. Mitehcl had been-ailing for about eighteen "months, but only became, seriously ill three months • ago. Tho' Yorkshire Society 10-cs one of its oMest members by the death' , of Mr. Mitchell. , Ho -took n'_ warm interest in its affairs, and somoitimo nfto contributed .ESO to ■ its ■ funds. Deceased wn's also a prent supporter of crickot, and made various^.donations to -the funds of tho Cricket Association-and affiliated clubs. Rinco the death of tho lato Mr. Edward Dixon, who gave tho clock now' in tho Basin Koserv-e pavilion, Mr. Mitchell had paid tho cost of keeping the tinieniceo in pood order. He also showed practical 'ymnathy with many other organisations in the city.' Tho funeral will take placo this afternoon at Ivarori.
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Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1680, 21 February 1913, Page 3
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785A PIONEER PASSES. Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1680, 21 February 1913, Page 3
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