Selkirk Family of Frame Work Knitters

[alfietcs]

Hello

I was hoping someone kind soul here might have some advice or hints on how to find out more about this family of mine ( listed below ), in particular, my 5x grandmother Isabella born in Selkirk 1801. It is very frustrating as I can't find out her maiden name and would love to know if she has roots in Selkirk, or if she was part of a family or group of travellers moving through. This family  moved around a lot! but ended up, from 1841 onwards, living in Leicester, St Margarets. I think they ended up staying there because one of the sons, Joseph, was in an asylum there.

I've not been able to find a marriage certificate for Isabella and Charles yet and although Charles says he was born in Leicestershire i've not found his baptism or birth registered either. Isabella is a total mystery other than she was born in Selkirk. The family were listed as working as frame work knitters, dyers and weavers in the Leicester census forms from 1841 -1881, but one of the sons was living back in Hawick in 1881 for a while in Green Terrace. I wondered if there was a connection between Selkirk and Leicester for weaving/textiles? The family obviously have strong connections with the Midlands, Scotland and Ireland. Two of Isabella's sons were also born in Scotland. One was born in Ireland and the other children were born in different parts of leicestershire.
Anyway, these are the names I have:-

Charles Mitchell - Head - Born around 1802 - Kibworth or kilworth, Leicestershire
Isabella ? - Wife - Born abt 1801 - Selkirk, Scotland
James Mitchell - Son - Born abt 1821 - Ireland
Charles Mitchell - Son - Born 1823- St Marys Leicester
John Mitchell - Son - born 1827 - Kibworth, leicestershire
Susannah Mitchell - Dau - born 1832 -  Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire
Robert Mitchell - Son - born 1833 -  Edinburgh, Scotland
Joseph Mitchell - Son - born 1835 - Hawick, Scotland
William Mitchell - Son - born 1843 - Leicester
Isabella Mitchell - Dau - born 1839 - Leicester
Isabella Mitchell - Grand daughter - born 1850 - Ireland

If anyone can cast any light on this family, I would be really thankful.
Best wishes
Alfietcs

[Kay99]

Their daughter Isabella is born approx 1839 in Leicester so this birth could be her and the cert should give her mother's maiden name

Isabella Mitchell Jun Qtr 1839  Leicester 15   138

Kay

[alfietcs]

Thanks Kay 

Doh...I feel like slapping my forehead!
I've been going over and over looking online for any info on this family, so much so, that my brain has gone foggy and I guess its easy to overlook the obvious. Order the birth certificate!. Thank you again. I think one of the reasons I overlooked the later children, was that Isabella's maiden name wasn't on the baptism records of the second and third children born in Leicestershire.

If anyone has any info or insight into why this family travelled so much, or about weaving etc in Selkirk area, I would be really interested to hear from them.

Fingers crossed that Isabella's maiden name is on the certificate.
best wishes
Ax

[Kay99]

Fingers crossed.   There is also William's birth cert in about 1843 but there is more than one option for him.  I can't see a baptism for the two boys born in Scotland on Scotland's People. 

I did find a reference to the Scottish Borders being an important centre of framework knitters and it could have been how the couple met??
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01fo4/

Good luck Kay

[alfietcs]

Thank you so much for your replies Kay. It is really kind of you to take the time to look for me.

It does seem like frame work knitting is a connection worth investigating. It just seems odd that they moved around so much if they were involved in that trade but I suppose they could hire the frames in each new place.

I couldn't find any record of the two boys births in Scotland either, in fact the only records I could find of the whole family were a few baptisms of the children who were born in Leicester. Nothing for the parents, no marriage, no birth, and nothing for the son born in Ireland either. I may well have to accept that I may get no further with this family for a while, but i'll see what the youngest daughter's birth certificate holds.

Thank you again
Have a lovely evening
Ax

[alfietcs]

Their daughter Isabella is born approx 1839 in Leicester so this birth could be her and the cert should give her mother's maiden name

Isabella Mitchell Jun Qtr 1839  Leicester 15   138

Kay

Hi Kay
I just wanted to thank you again for your help. I received Isabella's birth certificate yesterday and her mothers maiden name was on it
My g-g-g-g-grandma's name was Isabella Anderson.
I don't know if it will help with any more research, but just knowing her name makes me feel happy.
It's a funny thing, this family research malarky:)

best wishes
Alfietcs

[Kay99]

Hi Alfietcs

Great news that it was the right family and thank you for letting me know.  It is wonderful when there is a break through.  One of my direct ancestors married just pre registration in 1837 and if only she had waited a year I would have her father's christian name!!

Good Luck Kay

[terianne]

can only find a Joseph Mitchell born 1835 to Charles Mitchell & Isabel Henry born at Brechin in Angus in the OPR none born in Hawick

[alfietcs]

can only find a Joseph Mitchell born 1835 to Charles Mitchell & Isabel Henry born at Brechin in Angus in the OPR none born in Hawick

Hi Terianne
I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner, I didn't see that you had posted. Thank you so much for looking up Joseph's birth for me, I really appreciate it. I haven't had any luck finding the Scottish boys birth certificates/baptisms either.
Isabella's surname was definitely Anderson, as it has now been doubly confirmed when I found out that the eldest son James Mitchell's daughter was named Juliana Anderson Mitchell. I still can't find Charles and Isabella's marriage certificate or registered births or baptisms for many of the other children. I think it is going to take a while to get to the bottom of it. I am starting to think they may well have been travellers that settled eventually in Leicester, or that they were possibly an army family…hence the continual moving around. I guess that Hawick must be a rough guess/approximate area on the census forms.

Many thanks again

best wishes
Alfietcs