Henry Michael Mitchell

Mr Henry Mitchell was born in Whitehead, Dorset, England in 1840, later being baptised on 26 July that same year.

He was the son of Humphrey Mitchell (b. 1816), a shoemaker, and Sarah Woodgate (b. 1818), who were later married on 23 May 1841. His father was native to Dorset whilst his mother is believed to have hailed from Devon. He had six known siblings: Eliza (b. 1843), John (b. 1847), Thomas (b. 1849), Walter (b. 1850), Charles (b. 1859) and Albert (b. 1861).

Henry first appears on the 1841 census of England when he is living with his yet unmarried parents and his uncle, John Woodgate, also a shoemaker, at "Sheepwash" (?), in Whitchurch, Dorset. Following his parents' marriage and the birth of several more children the family resettled in Guernsey around 1848, showing up on the 1851 census living at New Street in St Peter's Port. The 1861 census shows the family at Flora Cottage, St Peter's Port and Henry is described as a boot plater, possibly in the employ of his father.

Henry was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Mary Bartley (b. 1843 in St Peter's Port) and they had three children, losing two at a young age. Their children were: Harry Ernest (b. 18 May 1867) and Ella Elizabeth (b. 26 March 1869) and Julia Annie (11 March 1874-3 April 1874).

The family appears on the 1871 census living at 25 Cogneteres (?) and Henry is still described as a boot plater, later a bootmaker by the time of the 1881 census when he and his family were living at 21 Mill Street. By the time of the 1891 census Henry and his wife were living alone, still at 21 Mill Street, and he was by now described as a leather merchant; they later moved to 4 Upland Road and appear there on both the 1901 and 1911 census records. By the time of the latter he was described as a retired leather dealer. His wife would pass away during the summer of 1911 and he would reside with his married daughter Ella Elizabeth Grut, wife of Herbert Charles Grut.

Originally booked on the Philadelphia, Henry boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a second class passenger (ticket number 24580 which cost £10, 10s) and he was travelling with fellow-Guernsey man Edward Wheadon. His destination was 19 Portland Place, Montclair, New Jersey, the home of his brother John and the brother intended to spend several months touring the USA, the two having not seen each other since 1870.

Both Henry Mitchell and Edward Wheadon were lost in the sinking. Their bodies, if recovered, were never identified.

Henry's estate, worth £496, 6s, 8d, was administered to his daughter Ella on 11 January 1913.