52 Ancestors - #6 Spencer Mitchell Sr. of North Carolina and Tennessee (1775-1849)

The first Mitchells immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1721 from Ireland. They had emigrated from Scotland, most probably, sometime before 1611. In 1737 they moved to the “Valley of Virginia.”

Spencer Senior was the 4^th generation born in the United States while I am the 10^th.  His generation is the farthest back that I have reliable research provided by my great Aunt Veron Mitchell Holden. Spencer Senior was born in Orange County, North Carolina on June 4, 1775 and was the son of Arthur and Elizabeth Linn Mitchell. Orange County was divided into Orange/Caswell Counties in 1777 and then Caswell County was divided into Caswell/Person Counties in 1791.

Spencer posted a marriage bond on December 22, 1796 to obtain a license to marry Rachel Roberts in Person County, North Carolina. Spencer bought land in the former Pendleton District of South Carolina on April 2, 1799 from a Shadrack Nowling. It is now Anderson County, South Carolina. 

Daughter Elizabeth was born in September 1797 and sons Arthur in October 20, 1799 and John in October 3, 1802.  My ancestor Spencer Stirling Mitchell Jr. was born here on April 8, 1804 followed by William Linn Mitchell on June 10, 1806.

Spencer Sr. and wife Rachel, along with their family, moved to White County, Tennessee in about 1806. “Rachel told her grandchildren that the family came across the Smoky Mountains on horseback. She carried her youngest child, William Linn on her lap in the saddle, he was wearing a red Lindsey dress and as they passed through the Cherokee Indian villages the Indians would take him down from her and go into rapture over that red dress.”  Four more children were born to Spencer Sr. and Rachel in White County, Tennessee – son Robert Sergeant born April 5, 1808, daughter Stacy born December 20, 1809, son Barnett born August 3, 1811 and son Tom born either early 1811 or 1812.

1809 land grant records show that Spencer was granted 170 acres just south of Sparta, on the north bank of the Caney Fork. This area was known as Hickory Valley. This was in addition to land granted in 1807 and 1808.

Spencer died March 20, 1849 after becoming sick on March 1^st.  The day after he was taken sick, he arranged his temporal business, and then remarked that he could die satisfied. 

"He has left an aged companion, eight sons, and one daughter.  In this dispensation of the wise Providence of God the church has lost one of its brightest ornaments, the bereaved widow an affectionate husband the children a kind father and the neighborhood one of its best members"

"Spence Mitchell's (unmarked) grave is by the [Old Union] church house, near the grave of Rufus White.  There's a rock sticking out of the ground there where he is buried." Joe Wallace, Chairman of Union Cemetery Trust Fund July 22, 2002 Conversation with Wayne Haston.