M078 – Town Street, c1860.
| Title | Edmund Mitchell & Family |
| Date | 1840 – 1915 |
| Location | Rawdon |
| Photo ID | M078 |
| Comment | An image of Town Street, Rawdon, c1860, where Edmund Mitchell grew up and lived with his parents. The photograph was taken from the church tower parapet. In the extreme right-hand corner can be seen the church Vicarage roof, it was demolished during the late 1960s. Beyond the Vicarage is the church institute building and alms houses, hidden beneath the tree. The junction with Carr Lane is just before the horse and cart on the left, then only a track. Opposite and on the right is Grange Farm on the right and above that, the National School which opened in 1861 and was destroyed by fire in 1951. Only the Headmaster’s house survived the fire after which it became the residence of the school caretaker. Opposite the school on the left of the road is the Naggs Head Ale House and on the bend on the right is Intake Lane leading to Intake Farm. Photographer John Arundel. |
Edmund Mitchell was born in 1840, to James Mitchell and Elizabeth Farrar Mitchell of Town Street, Rawdon, and was baptised at St. Peter’s Church. Edmund grew up with his parents and at the age of 33 years in 1873, at St. Peter’s Church, he married Elizabeth Lawson from Yeadon.
In 1875, Edmund’s eldest daughter Elizabeth Augusta Louise was born, and this was followed by the birth of his son Edmund Ashby Vaughan in June 1876. A second daughter Constance Eleanor was born in 1878.
X925 – Rawdon Hill Farm, 2023.
Edmund Mitchell & Family – 1840 – 1915
By 1880, Edmund and his family had moved to Honley, Nr. Holmfirth, where the family resided before purchasing Lower Green Gate Farm, Lower Green Gate Road, Honley, Nr. Holmfirth, and subsequently renaming the property as Rawdon Hill Farm. In 1884, Edmund and his wife had a third daughter Edith Annie and in 1886, a second son, John Farrington was born followed by Reginald Fison in 1890. Sadly, both Edith and Reginald passed away after succumbing to diphtheria in 1892.
Edmund was also employed as a sexton/gardener at St. Mary’s Church, Honley, and in 1892 the Church asked him and his wife if they would adopt an orphan girl named Lily Watson whose mother, a Mary Strong died shortly after childbirth having arrived in England from Australia that same year. Lily’s father is believed to have died of diphtheria whilst enroute to England.
Rawdon Hill Farm, photograph from the public domain.
X923 – Mitchell Family, c1893.
Edmund Mitchell & Family – 1840 – 1915
This family photograph is believed to have been taken in early 1893 and from left to right are:
Edmund Ashby Vaughan Mitchell, Constance Eleanor Mitchell, Edmund Mitchell (Standing), Elizabeth Mitchell (Seated), Elizabeth Augusta Louise Mitchell (Standing) and John Farrington Mitchell (Seated). Lily Watson (now Mitchell) is sitting on her adopted mother’s lap.
Photograph by kind permission of Wendy Pearson Sandmann, USA, Great Grand Daughter of Lily Mitchell.
X926 – Newspaper Cutting, 1903.
Edmund Mitchell & Family – 1840 – 1915
Edmund and Elizabeth continued their charitable work with the church and local community as can be seen in this local newspaper account of 1903.
HUDDERSFIELD CINDERELLA SOCIETY
POOR CHILDREN’S SUMMER HOLIDAY
During the last three weeks the above society have sent three batches of girls (six in a batch) between the ages of six and twelve, to Rawdon Hill Farm, near Holmfirth, for a week’s holiday. They were selected from Beaumont Street, St. Paul’s and Parish Church Schools respectively, and previous to their departure were medically examined by Dr. Moore (medical officer of health), who kindly consented to act as hon. surgeon to the society. The children were assembled about nine o’clock each Saturday morning and taken to the Ramsden Street Baths, which were kindly placed at the disposal of the society free of charge. Each girl was provided with a new set of underclothing, which they were allowed to retain on completing the holiday. The children were accompanied by a member of the committee, left for Meltham by the 10-20 a.m. train. On arrival they were provided with light refreshment, and afterwards conveyed by waggonette to their destination. Mrs Mitchell (the hostess of the farm) took great interest in the little ones, and provided really good and substantial meals for them, and their other wants were administered to by a most suitable person appointed by the committee, who have been particularly fortunate both in the selection of the farm and also in the choice of one so well qualified to supervise the children. The girls behaved splendidly, and their contented and happy looks bespoke the amount of pleasure they had derived from the holiday. The committee regard the training which the children receive in cleanliness and regular habits as likely to have a lasting effect, and are desirous of continuing the good work for a few weeks longer if the necessary funds can be obtained.
In urgently appealing for immediate help this committee feel that if the general public could but see the children week by week in their temporary home they would be convinced that the work of the society is very necessary and well deserving their support. Donations will be gratefully acknowledged by the hon. secretary, Mr H Thomas, Clough House, Halifax Old Road, Huddersfield.
X924 – Lily Mitchell, c1905.
Lily Mitchell – c1905
This is a photograph of Lily dressed in her school physical training clothes for girls and is portrayed as exercising with handheld ‘dumbbells’. Lily spent her formative years and attended school in the Honley/Holmfirth area and the family would often travel back to Rawdon to visit relatives both in Rawdon and Yeadon; Mrs Mitchell having relatives at Warren House Farm, Yeadon, and a brother at a farm believed to have been Dean Head, at the end of White House Lane, Yeadon, just over the border in Horsforth. To visit Warren House Farm – Click Here.
Sadly in 1908, Edmund Mitchell died but his children married and continued to live locally to the farm. In 1915, shortly after the death of her mother Elizabeth, Lily Mitchell, emigrated to Canada and later to the United States of America where she later married and raised a family.
Photograph by kind permission of Wendy Pearson Sandmann, USA, Great Grand Daughter of Lily Mitchell.
Editor’s Note: The AHS, whilst assisting Lily Mitchell’s Great Grand Daughter in July 2023, in researching Edmund Mitchell’s family, a question was asked about why the name of the farm previous to the Mitchell ownership known as Lower Green Gate Farm was changed to Rawdon Hill Farm as even the present-day owners of the farm have wondered such. Our thought is that the farm name was changed to ‘Rawdon’ by Edmund, the name of his birthplace. It may also be that Edmund grew up on one of the farms, possibly the one on the tree line of Billing Wood or Grange Farm next to the old National School. One of Edmund’s son’s who also emigrated to Canada, gave his son the middle name of ‘Rawdon’.
Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 23 July 2023.
Last updated: 01 August 2023.
