DAVID MITCHELL, Sr.
David Mitchell was not only one of the first but one of the most prominent citizens of Darby during its formative period. He was a life-long member of the Presbyterian Church, served his township for many years as Justice of the Peace, and under the old State Constitution was one of the Associate Judges of Union County. He was intelligent and well educated, and was universally known as Judge Mitchell. He was thrice married. His first partner was Martha Black, and by this marriage he had ten children, who, in the order of their ages, were, Moses, Samuel, George, David, Margaret, Martha, Jesse, Elizabeth, Dixon and Aaron. Martha became the wife of Robert Nelson; Margaret of James Boal; and Elizabeth married John Robinson. The seventh child, Jesse, was the first white child born in what is now Union County. The date of his birth was November 4. 1799. A brief sketch of him may be found in the history of Jerome Township, where he settled upon attaining maturity. The second wife of Judge Mitchell was Rebecca Nelson, who died soon after her marriage. By the third marriage to Hannah Caldwell, there were two children-John C., now residing on the home place, and Alexander R., who died in California. Samuel Mitchell, Jr., had married Elizabeth Robinson in York County, Penn.. and removed to Darby with his family a few years after his relatives settled here. After his emigration, be continued his residence upon the place until his death, which occurred about 1820. He built the first wool carding machine within the bounds of Union County, and operated it in connection with farming. He was an earnest Covenanter in his religious belief. His children were Sarah, who married Robert Maze; Margaret, who was the wife of John Crawford; Samuel, who removed to Iowa; James, an old bachelor, and David, both of Washington, Iowa; Jane, Betsy and Eleanor, married and residing in Iowa.