WILLIAM MITCHELL was born 7 May 1847 Blairoch,Parish of Glencairn,
Dumfries the natural son of Thomas Mitchell and Agnes Hewetson. [In the 1851 Census record for Carronbridge, Parish of Morton William?s mother?s name is spelt Agnas Hewitson and his name is recorded as William Hewitson.]

AMELIA ANNIE HERRING was born 1843 Wapping, Surrey. She left England on 28 August 1864 on the ?Eastern Empire? and arrived Lyttleton, New
Zealand on 4 January 1865. She is listed as having travelled in the
single women?s quarters as Amelia A Herring aged 25 years. [There is an obvious discrepancy in the age recorded and the date of birth.]
Her occupation was listed as ?milliner? and she travelled on Promissory Note No. 302 dated 24 August 1864.

William Mitchell and Amelia Annie Herring were married on 5 June 1866 at the Clarendon Hotel, Waihi Crossing, Geraldine New Zealand. The Marriage Entry in the records of the NZ Registrar-General?s Office describes William Mitchell as 20 years of age, a labourer and bachelor. The same record describes Amelia Annie Herring as 24 years of age, a dressmaker and a spinster. [There is a further age discrepancy in this record.]

William and Amelia Mitchell established a business selling drapery from a horse and gig for some years before moving to Ashburton. A successful drapery and clothier business developed in partnership with Henry Cranaway Turner. The Mitchell and Turner building still stands in Burnett Street, Ashburton with the initials M&T and the date 1874 prominent in the arch of the building. The size and nature of the building attests to the success of the enterprise.

Extensive land purchases, leasings and sales were undertaken by William and Amelia both in town and rural sections of Ashburton from 1879 to 1887. The electoral roll for Coleridge in 1879-80 lists William Mitchell as a leaseholder and in the Ashburton electoral roll for 1880-81 as ?freeholder storekeeper?. In 1881 William Mitchell is described as a ?farmer? in Land Registry records.

Family of William and Amelia Mitchell

John T Mitchell
William Stuart Mitchell
Richard Henry Mitchell
Robert Alexander Mitchell
Charles Hewitson Mitchell
Nellie Sophia Mitchell (died aged 10 months).

William Mitchell died on16 February 1886 in Ashburton and was buried in the Ashburton Cemetery.
Amelia Annie Mitchell died 26 March 1923 at her residence in Redcliffe, Christchurch and was buried in Ashburton Cemetery next to her husband.

Additional Information
The funeral notice for Amelia Annie Herring appeared in the Ashburton
Guardian 28 May 1923 p4. It detailed the whereabouts/residence of her
five sons at the time of her funeral ? William (on a business trip to
America), John T (Christchurch), Robert (Gisborne), Richard (Sumner) and Charles (Sydney, Australia).

Children of: -
John Mitchell and Edie Bean ? Doris, Melville, Mervin (?Milton) Clifford (?), Clarence(?).
Richard Henry Mitchell and Barbara Law ? Rewa Belle, Stuart Law, Inez
Dulcie, Ronald.
Charles Hewitson Mitchell and Helena Dobbs ? Elfreida Anne, Patricia
Hewitson.