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JOHN WILLIAM MITCHELL |
Genealogy of John William Mitchell descendants, Click Here. |
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REV. JOHN MITCHELL, Born in England 1763. Bound to a Sailor. Went to W.India & America 1774. Thence to E. India, Thence to America, 1775. Came to Virginia 1776. Substituted in U.S. Army 1779. Drafted 1779. Settled on This Farm 1803. Preached the Gospel 40 Years. Died 29th April, 1840.Age 76Y.,11M.,25D. |
DAR Marker in Front |
It actually says all of the above on the gravestone. |
 |
Picture Taken by Martha Bent Meistrell |
Location of
these gravestones are near Jane Lew, Lewis County, West
Virginia |
 |
This is the same location as
above where other members of the |
These other grave
markers at this |
John W. son of
Benoni & Susannah Mitchell Died July 6, 1848 Aged 6
yr. 3 m. 4 d. |
| Twin Mildred J. (?)Benoni & Susannah
Mitchell Born Dec. 25, 1847 Died Jan. 10, 1848 (This is probably the child of Benoni and Susannah Life.) |
| D. C. Mitchell Died October 1, 1878 Aged 2 10
D (This makes him Born Abt. September 20, 1876) (This D.C. Mitchell could be the son of Draper C. Mitchell who married Martha Dbarr* in Lewis County, (W)VA October 21, 1859. D.C. would be Benoni's grandson and John William Mitchell's great-grandson.) |
| MUS'N D. C. Mitchell, Co. C. 10 W.VA. INF.
(Military Marker) (This could be Draper C. Mitchell married to Martha Dbarr Mitchell, son of Benoni Mitchell and Susannah Life. But another list shows it as O.C., Musician. Then there is another list showing an Oliver Mitchell b. 12 April 1838 d. 25 December 1844, s/o Benoni & Susannah Mitchell.) |
| Daniel son of DC & M Mitchel (there is
only one 'l' in the name "Mitchell.") (This would be the son of Draper C. Mitchell and Martha Dbarr Mitchell.) |
| INFANT Mostly unreadable, MITCHELL, died Oct 17, 187? |
| CATHERINE MITCHELL Died March 15, 1870 (I believe this may be Catherine Mitchell d/o John William Mitchell and Susannah Washburn Mitchell, as it would fit into the time schedule. However, there is one problem here: that this Catherine Mitchell was married to a Philip Petty b. in Ohio. I will leave this as is until I am informed otherwise.) |
| I. L. Mitchell (another military marker.)
Company O? ? W.VA. INF. (This could be Isaac Mitchell, son of John William Mitchell and Susannah Washburn, but there is a possibility that it is not because it could be that Isaac too old for the Civil War. I am not sure that military markers are placed for the War of 1812 or Mexican-American War .) |
| (Two markers that Martha Bent Meistrell said she could not make out; and the possiblity that there might have been one more grave.) |
| (*Martha Dbarr (I wonder if Dbarr is a relation of the well-known J. H. Diss Debar.) |
| When I went to Jane Lew, Lewis
County, WV to search for the gravesite of my direct
ancestor John William Mitchell, I found that the Harmony
United Methodist Church was on Hacker's Creek Road, also
known as the Berlin Road, directly across from the
Wilderness Plantation Office check-in. The graveyard is
located to the right and up the hill from this location.
There is a gate which says to keep closed because of
livestock. (See below in 1938 LDS took reading of 140
graves. Unmarked graves 30 or more.) The Harmony United Methodist Church has published a brochure (2001) which says that the Old Harmony church was built in 1819 on a knoll overlooking Hacker's Creek Valley. They say that it was the first Methodist Protestant church organized west of the Allegheny Mountains and that John Mitchell was its first pastor. Some of the information regarding dates and places of burial are in error or contradictory. There are at least five readings included here. One states that John William Mitchell is buried at the Old Harmony Cemetery. However, John William Mitchell is buried in the plot in the picture above at a private graveyard with other members of his family. This could or might be the home place of one of his children or John William Mitchell, himself; I don't know. I talked to a few people in September 2001 and find that not many people can give one answer to the following questions: If Rev. Mitchell founded the Methodist Episcopal Church on the knoll above the present Harmony United Methodist Church is located, then where is that ME building's marker, as well as another for the Methodist Protestant. Were they the same building: some say not. One boy-scout got his eagle badge finding the building marker for the church on the knoll. Some say there were two markers, some say one, and even one person said three, on the knoll. Was there a ME and a MP on the knoll? I think probably so. Did Rev. Mitchell found as well as build the Methodist Protestant Church on the knoll as well as the ME Church? I think so. I think that the present Harmony United Methodist Church was built at its present location as the Methodist Protestant Church by Rev. Mitchell. I will post here later in full a speech that was given to commemorate the ??? in the 1980's that a member of the present Harmony United Methodist Church gave to me. If anyone is reading this, I want to thank you over again, for all your help you gave me in chasing down people to talk to, gravestones and cemeteries, brochures, showing me books, drawing me maps, taking me into your homes, driving me down the road to hunt for another location, and giving me your theories. Blessed West Virginians - I'm glad to be one of you. 1800 Rev. John William Mitchell joined the ministry of the Methodist Episcopalian Church 1813 “Weston Democrat,” newspaper states that the date of organization for the “Harmony Methodist, 1813.” 1819 Rev. Mitchell built Harmony METHODIST EPISCOPALIAN Church 1824 Rev. Mitchell lacked one vote of being elected a bishop. 1830 Rev. Mitchell withdrew from the Methodist Episcopalian Church 1830 Rev. Mitchell helped organize the first METHODIST PROTESTANT Church in W.Va. Of the known surnames of ancestors of mine that are listed as buried in Harmony Church Cemetery , here is a list “… Marked graves, 140 unmarked graves 30 or more. copied by Hartzel G. Strader from Latter Day Saints Church Genealogical Library Film No. 250,209. Filmed in Morgantown, W.Va. Inscriptions read 2 January 1938.” (Rev. John Mitchell is no longer located in
the Harmony Church Cemetery as LDS states in 1938.) Regarding * , ^, and +, it says on this list: “Note: The following 6 names on one stone. 2 Names on each of 3 sides.” Harmony Church Cemetery read in May 1982 by
Betty Graybill and her mother Mrs. Pete Wimer. Please
note that Rev. John William Mitchell is no longer at this
graveyard. This list includes, as well as the previous
persons: MITCHELL, BENONI F. b. November 14, 1877 d. June
13, 1949 Another list or reading of the Harmony Methodist Church by Richard W. Loudin says that the present church was established 1819. (But I think that the Methodist Protestant Church was established much later.) It says that there is a bronze marker in the front right side of the cemetery on the hill above and to the right of the present church. (This must be an older reading, as as I stated, there is no church building here now. The bronze marker reads as follows: Site of Old Harmony Church Built in 1819 Recognized as The Mother Church of Methodist Protestantism in W.Va. But Built and Dedicated As a Methodist Episcoal Church Erected by Trans-Alegheny Chapter – Daughters Of the American Revolution and Descendants of Pioneer Worshippers of The Church. MITCHELL, MONIE E. 1886-1970 William Foster Hayes III says in an article that Catherine Margaret (Teter) Mitchell is buried in the Old Mitchell Cemetery (at the northeast corner of a small hilltop plot near the I-79 Jane Lew turn-off.) In another book is written that Mt. Harmony church, built on Hacker's Creek in 1819 by Reverend John Mitchell, was the first in the valley, and the second Methodist church constructed in West Virginia. Reading taken by Robert Smith of Lost Creek, W.VA. 12 April 1983 includes MITCHELL, O.C., Musician Co. C 10 W.Va. Inf. (Civil War) In a West Virginia book which was published by the WPA is listed on page 394 No. 2, that John Mitchell is buried in the Old Harmony churchyard. At the time of the book being published, this was no doubt true, but this is no longer true, as he is in the graveyard where the pictures above of myself and the one with his tombstone is located. The quote on page 394 says: "2. Left from Jane Lew on a paved road is the old HARMONY CHURCH, 1 m. BUILT IN 1819 BY A Methodist Episcopal congregation. The history of the church belies its name, for in 1829 its first pastor, John Mitchell, and Davis Smith disagreed with the policy of the mother church, founded a Methodist Protestant society, and preached their dissenting beliefs in Harmony Church. Mitchell is buried in the churchyard." |
In the HCPD Library at Jane Lew is a book donated by Benjamin Mitchell, "The Mitchell Family." |
In an earlier DAR Lineage
Book the following people are members of the DAR thru
John William Mitchell: |
November 02, 2003 |