ZSL; Aqua Vivaria 1854.

David William Mitchell Aquarium Ambitions - references.

1813. Baptised, Chalfont St. Peter, 29th August 1813, Buckinghamshire - parish records.

1830. Family residence 7 Cavendish Crescent, Walcot. Bath postal Directory.

1836. Graduated – B.A. Oxford (Christ Church College, 16 June 1836.) special interest - Ornithology. A Catalogue of all Graduates in Divinity, Law, Medicine, Arts and Music, who have regularly proceeded or been created in the University of Oxford between October 10,1695, and December 31, 1850. Oxford University Press. MDCCCLI. Page 457. 3rd entry. (Also viewable at Google books).

1837. Married 30th October, St Giles in the field, Middlesex, to Prudence Philips Willes, eldest daughter of the Reverend Edward Willes of the parish of Walcot, Bath, Somerset.

1839. Cornwall. Transactions of the Natural History and Antiquarian Society of Penzance. Established in 1839. Volume 1 1845-1850. Lists the rules of the society, original members, officers and constitution. British Birds. Volume IV. A History of British Birds. William Yarrell. Fourth Edition, in Four Volumes. Revised and enlarged by Howard Saunders. Van Voorst, July, 1884-1885, pp 13 (November 1839); 18 (Autumn 1838); 23. Fourth Edition, Vol. 3, Revised & Enlarged, pp 369 (27 May 1840); 43. Jonathan Couch's Cornish Birds. Edited by Roger David Penhallurick. Polperro Press 2003, pp 130; 133 (May 1840); 162 (29 April 1839); 163 (June 1839); 164 (lived in Penzance from 1832-1842); 164 (13 December 1839).

1840. Illustrator for George Robert Gray; Gray first published A list of the Genera of Birds in 1840, publishing a revised list in 1841 and updated list in 1842, before expanding it into three volumes, the first volume illustrated by Mitchell was published in 1842. Leaving in 1847, the works were completed by German freelance artist, Joseph Wolf.

1843. November 21. Elected into the Fellowship of the Linnean Society of London. Prop: W.Yarrell, J.H.Bennett, J.Gould, J.A.Hankey, T.C.Janson, J.Parkinson, E.Doubleday, J.Milne, A.White, J.Janson, W.H.Solly, E.Forster, E.Norwich.
December 6. Elected into the Fellowship of the Zoological Society London. Z.S.L. Council mins. All general information of Z.S.L. from Reports of the Council and Auditors of the Zoological Society of London, read at the Annual General Meeting.

1844. November 6th. Elected into Gardens Committee. Z.S.L. Council mins.

1847. Jan. 20. Secretary should be a paid officer. Z.S.L. Council mins.
Feb. 3. Secretary Salary not less the £250 p.a., bylaws and regulations define the role.
Feb 10 – Mitchell elected into Council and appointed Secretary at a special meeting. LZS. Council Minutes.
April 27th. Birth of daughter Lillian Mary, St Giles, Middlesex.

1851. Stickleback group. Zoologist, 2nd Series, Vol. 8, 1873. Edward Newman. Sep., p3662-3676; Oct., p3701-3711; Nov., p3741-3759.
Residence 27 St Montague Street, St Georges, Bloomsbury. Census.
April 2. Mitchell paid £500 p.a. Z.S.L. Council mins.
Aug. 20. Secretary should report to Council alterations he thinks desirable. Z.S.L. mins.

1852. Jan 16. Letter to Warington. See Warington Refs.
Feb 4. Glass house for an aquatic vivarium. Z.S.L. Council mins.
Feb 18. Aquatic vivarium- building to be immediately commenced at the western boundary of the flower garden. Z.S.L. Council mins.
June 30. 2 plate glass tanks be erected on the west side and enamelled slate tank at each end of aquatic vivarium. Z.S.L. mins.

1853. Jan. 3. Death of Prudence Mitchell - BMD records.
Feb 2. Aquatic vivarium, recommended opening be fixed for a week after Easter. Z.S.L. Council mins.
Feb 16. Proceed with tanks on east side, with stronger glass. Estimated cost £200. Z.S.L. Council mins.
May 18. Zoological Gardens - Upwards of 21,000 persons were admitted into the gardens in the course of the day, and this number presents a very astonishing increase as compared with even 1851, when the maximum in any one day, as we are officially informed, did not exceed 15,000. The collection of marine animals, which has been exhibited occasionally to the members of the society, will be opened to the public on Saturday next, and the notice to that effect appeared to attract great attention, as well as some dissatisfaction that the preparations were not already completed. The Times, May 18, 1853; pg. 8; Issue 21431; col A Zoological-Gardens, Regent's-Park.- Category: News.Full Text: Copyright 1853, The Times
Aug 17. Notice from Mr. Bell regarding Gosse acc. Z.S.L. Council mins.

1854. May 17. Gosse proposing arbitration over account. Z.S.L. Council mins.
Sept 6. Letter to Council from Bowerbank - £150 settlement with Gosse account. Z.S.L. Council mins.
1855. February. Accepted position of Delegate to the Society of d'Acclimatation. La zoologie appliquée outre-Pyrénées. La delegation de la Société zoologique d'acclimatation à Madrid. Santiag Aragon.

1859. April 6. Mitchell to Council – will not present himself for re-election. Z.S.L. Council mins.
April 29. Mitchell vacated position of secretary to the Council of the L.Z.S., to take up the post of Aquarium Director, Jardin d'Acclimatation Aquarium.
1860. Death. November 1st at Neville, near Paris, David William, eldest son of Alexander Mitchell esq. of Cavendish Crescent: in this city aged 46. Bath Chronicle. Thursday, November 10, 1859.

Obituary. Linnean Society. Vol:5 p26.
D. W. Mitchell, Esq.,B.A. Oxford, was elected Fellow, Nov. 21, 1843. He died in Paris, under very painful and melancholy circumstances, In November 1859. Mr. Mitchell was well known as a zoologist, and as Secretary for twelve years to the Zoological Society, which owes much of its prosperity to his tact and zealous exertions.

Graduation – A Catalogue of all Graduates in Divinity, Law, Medicine, Arts and Music, who have regularly proceeded or been created in the University of Oxford between October 10,1695, and December 31, 1850. Oxford University Press. MDCCCLI. Page 457. 3rd entry. (Also viewable at Google books).
George Robert Gray - The history of the Genera of Birds. Vol 8. Forward. 2003.
Delegate – "Three cities outside France are described: and Mitchell, secretary-manager of the Zoological Society of London, was appointed delegate to this capital." Page 3 - The Delegation of the Zoological Society of acclimatization in Madrid. Santiago Aragon. Estate - Centerary History of the Zoological Society of London. Page 68-69.

Miscellaneous family details of David William Mitchell.

Marriage. D.W. Mitchell married – 30th October1837, St Giles in the field, Middlesex, to Prudence Philips Willes, eldest daughter (of six children of the union between) Prudence Philips and Edward Willes, Reverend of the parish of Walcot, Bath, Somerset.
Prudence Willes (initially known as Prudence Philips) was born 1813. Bath Somerset. Died 1853 January 3rd. St Giles, Middlesex.

Daughter - Lillian Mary Mitchell.
Born – 27 April 1847. 28 Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, Middlesex.
Died – 1893. September 4. Nice, France.
In 1859 the novelist Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823-1901) was encouraged by her cousin Mary Coleridge to start an essay society for a group of young girls who were in need of more mental stimulation than the life of a Victorian daughter at home afforded them. They called her Mother Goose and they became the Goslings. Each girl adopted a fancy pen-name such as 'Hedge Rose' or 'Shamrock'. Each wrote two essays a month for her, and the best essays were circulated among them all. These girls were all being educated at home while their brothers, if they had any, went to schools and universities. Many were the daughters of rural clergymen or landowners and led isolated and monotonous lives. It must have been enormously encouraging for them to have a famous woman novelist criticising their work and taking their intellectual aspirations seriously.
The Gosling Society began in 1859 and ended in 1877.
UGLY DUCKLING, Lilian Mary Mitchell (1847-1893), Kings Teignton Vicarage, Milton Abbot, Devon (from c.1865-before 1869). The vicar of Kingsteignton from 1858 was the Rev. John Hawkins Hext; see Charlotte Mary Yonge Fellowship Website.
Married – John Hext. Dist: Newton Abbot, winter 1874
Died – 1893. September 4. Nice, France.
After the death of her father in 1859, Lillian left Paris, then aged 12, and returned to England under the care of the Reverend John H. Hext, of Kingsteignton, Devon. Living in the vicarage with his nine children she continued her education and remained until she married the eldest son, John Hext in 1874 (Rear-admiral Sir John Hext 1842-1924). After the death of her paternal grandfather, the Rev: Edward Willes in 1847, her bereaved grandmother Prudence and cousins left Bath taking residence at 2 Royal Crescent, Weymouth.
Married – John Hext. Dist: Newton Abbot, Qtr: Oct-Nov-Dec. 1874
After the death of her father in 1859, Lillian left Paris, then aged 12, and returned to England under the care of the Reverend John H. Hext, of Kingsteignton, Devon. Living in the vicarage with his nine children she continued her education and remained until she married the eldest son, John Hext in 1874 (Rear-admiral Sir John Hext 1842-1924). After the death of her paternal grandfather, the Rev: Edward Willes in 1847, her bereaved grandmother Prudence and cousins left Bath taking residence at 2 Royal Crescent, Weymouth.
Lillian Hext – England & Wales, National Probate Callender. 1861-1941.
HEXT Lillian Mary of St. Benets, Newton Abbot, Devon, (wife of John Hext) died 4 September 1893 at Nice France. Probate London 11th January (beneficiary) January to George Tuson gentleman. Effects £1915.4s.6d.

Family – Parents -Alexander Mitchell. Birth about 1778 - 1868, Scotland.
Christina Mitchell. Birth about 1786 -1869, Bath.
Brothers and sister from the baptism register of Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire.
David William. Baptised 29 Aug. 1813, child of Alexander and Christina Mitchell of Gerrards Cross; Gentleman.
Mary Christina. Baptised 10 Sept. 1815. Married, 1841 Wolcot, Charles James.
Robert Alexander. Born 22 April 1819. Married, Grace Anglin Savage. Census 1851, Solicitor -20 Gloucester Terrace, St James, Paddington.
James Johnson. Born 18 Dec. 1821. Married 1851, Marianne Wing, 1817 census, Doctor, Bath.

Census entries for D.W. Mitchell's parents.
1841. 8 Cavendish Crescent, Walcot, Bath, Somerset. (St Swithen).
Alexander Mitchell, head, age 60. Independent means.
Christina Mitchell, wife, age 55.
James Mitchell, son, 15, medical student. (1881 census shows him as a physician/surgeon in Bath).
1851. 8 Cavendish Crescent, Bath, Somerset.
Alexander Mitchell, head, 73, fund holder. Scotland.
Christina Mitchell, wife, 65, Scotland.
1861. 8 Cavendish Crescent, Walcot, Bath, Somerset.
Alexander Mitchell, head, 83, fund holder. Scotland.
Christina Mitchell, wife, 75. Scotland.
Mary C. James, Grand daughter, 18, Everlide, Worcestershire.

Marriage. D.W. Mitchell
Married – 30th October1837, St Giles in the field, Middlesex, Prudence Philips Willes, eldest daughter of Edward and Phillips Willes, Reverend of the parish of Walcot, Bath, Somerset.
Prudence Willes - Born 1813. Bath Somerset. Died 1853 January 3rd. St Giles, Middlesex.

Census entries for wife's parents.
1841. Walcot Parade, Walcot, Bath, Somerset.
Edward Willes, head, 65, Reverend.
Phillips Willes, wife, 50.
Jane Willes, daug. 25.
Charlotte Willes, daug. 20.
Francis Willes, son. 15.
1851. Walcot Parade, Wolcot, Bath, Somerset.
Prudence Willes, head, 63, fund holder, Ilfracombe, Somerset.
Jane Willes, daug. 37, Bath, Somerset.
1861. 2 Royal Crescent, Melcombe Regis, Dorset.
Prudence Willes, head, 76. Ilfracombe, Devon.
Jane Willes, daug. 47. Bath, Somerset.
Francis Willes. Son. Gentleman, Bath, Somerset.