Thomas Baird Mitchell, my great-grandfather
Thomas Baird Mitchell
b. 19 Nov 1862,
d. 19 March 1936
Thomas Baird Mitchell was born on 19 November 1862; his birth was registered in January of 1863. Thomas was born to his mother Margaret Baird and his birth certificate bears the "illegitimate" label, something that was not easily forgotten in Scottish culture at that time. This was my family's skeleton in the closet, as Thomas and Helen felt that their relocation to a new country would allow this stigma to be forgotten. This was a difficult discovery for me, both in terms of actually finding this certificate, but also emotionally, for more than the stigma of the "sin" of his unwed mother, was the knowledge that our surname of "Mitchell" was acquired only through his adoption, legal or not, by Robert Mitchell who married his mother when he was 5.
Thomas' birth certificate gives this information: In the first column "Thomas Baird", underneath is written in large letters "illegitimate"; 2nd column: 1862, November twenty-second at 8 PM, Henrietta Street, Galston; 3rd column: Mother, Margaret Baird, cottonweaver; 4th column: (witness) Margaret Baird, mother; 5th column: registration 1862 December 8th at Galston, William Bell, registrar. See copy of certificate.
The fact is that Thomas' father was actually John Wilson, a cottonweaver lad who was her neighbor. Please see the webpage on John Wilson for the details and the source of this information.
Margaret's little bairn, Thomas, seems to have been accepted by the Baird family, which was lucky because often unwed mothers were disowned and forced to live on their own. At any rate, by the time Thomas was 3, Margaret, still young and definitely a "brae lassie" had begun courting Robert Mitchell, another cottonweaver 13 years her senior. The picture certainly shows some distance between them and no warmth comes across. We don't know what their relationship was like, but there were no further children born to the two. Still, it was a kind act of Robert to later adopt Thomas, who was named as a witness at Robert's death as his "step-son".
In the 1871 census, the new family is living in Galston at 20 Henrietta St., Robert Mitchell is 40 (head), a handlooom cottonweaver; Margaret (Baird) Mitchell, his wife 28; and Thomas B. his son, 8, a "scholar" (attending school). Next door to Robert lives his Aunt Margaret Mitchell 62, a cotton winder (listed as "head"), his uncle George Mitchell, 74, who was described as a pauper and "embecile at birth", Robert had lived with them for many years before he married.
Thomas grew up following in both his father's footsteps, becoming a cottonweaver. He is listed as THomas Mitchell in the 1881 census as age 20, living with his Aunt Janet Baird at 66 East Main St. Loudoun (close to Galston), Ayrshire; living with his aunt Janet Baird, and his occupation is lace weaver, both were born in Galston, Ayr.
At Thomas' marriage he was 24 and his occupation was "lace weaver". Thomas was a very good looking Scot! I don't know when this photo was taken, but here he is in all his kilted glory!