Mitchell (Y-DNA)

Status summary

Completed as of September 29, 2020:

• Recruiting additional direct male-line Mitchell descendants for further SNP testing - anyone interested in submitting their DNA for testing should contact MayflowerDNA1620@gmail.com

Still to do as of September 29, 2020

• NGS/WGS test multiple descendants of Mitchell to firmly place family clade as well as test descendants to discover any subclades unique to descendants lines
• Y-DNA test a Y-DNA descendant of Thomas Mitchell of Block Island (who is believed to be the son of Experience Mitchell & Jane Cooke) and compare Y-DNA to Y-DNA descendants of Experience Mitchell's other sons (by a different wife)

Biography

For more information see Roser, Susan E. and Judith A. Swan, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations vol. 12 Cooke 2017 addendum of 1999 2nd Edition, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA.

First Generation

Experience Mitchell is said to have been born sometime around 1602, likely son of Thomas Mitchell & (First Wife) Maria Tromlin of Amsterdam. He emigrated to New Plimoth in 1623 aboard the Anne. He was married twice, first about 1628 to Jane Cooke, daughter of Mayflower passenger Francis Cooke. They are believed to have had three children (daughters Elizabeth & Mary as well as son Thomas). Experience married second, about 1640 to Mary _____, but his children by her are not descendants of a Mayflower passenger

Second Generation

Thomas Mitchell was born in Plymouth about 1630. It is believed this was the Thomas Michell who appeared at Block Island by 1678 and had a family there. Since we have a known Y-DNA descendant of Experience (by his second wife) tested, having a Y-DNA descendant of Thomas Y-DNA test should be able to prove or disprove this connection. He had sons (Capt.) Thomas, John and Joseph.

Third Generation

Capt. Thomas Mitchell was born about 1660, possibly at Dartmouth (MA) and died about 1740. He married bef 1682 Margaret, probably the daughter of John Rathbone. Children: (Capt.) Thomas "Jr.", George, Joseph, Margaret and Benjamin

John Mitchell was born about 1667 and probably removed to Newport, RI. He married bef 6 Jan 1692/3 Sarah RATHBONE George. He had two children: John and Mehitable

Joseph Mitchell was born before 1670. He married twice, first 5 Jul 1703 to Mary Jones (a step-daughter to his brother, John). She died before 8 May 1740. Joseph's will names three sons: Jonathan, Thomas and Jeremiah.

DNA results R1b-S25234

Previous Y-DNA testing

The Mitchell DNA Project lists four individuals who have STR tested under their "Hap R1b Group 12". Two of these individuals state Experience Mitchell was their Most Distant Known (Y-DNA) Ancestor (MDKA) and all four of the results are close STR matches, indicating they have a common origin (but possibly in England rather than New England). None of the four have done any Y-SNP testing, but one of the four has tested 67 Y-STRs. Inputting the 67 Y-STRs into the Nevgen.org Haplogroup Predictor predicts where the family falls under R-U106>>Z381>Z156>>DF96>>S25234

Further needed testing

A Y-DNA descendant of Thomas Mitchell of Block Island is needed to Y-DNA test to discover whether or not he matches the Y-DNA signature of Experience Mitchell. In addition, Next Generation Sequence/Whole Genome Sequence (NGS/WGS) testing is needed to confirm the haplogroup assignment and further refine it.

References & External Links

• Roser, Susan E. and Judith A. Swan, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations vol. 12 Cooke 2017 addendum of 1999 2nd Edition, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA
• Anderson, Robert Charles, The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633" (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 2004)
• Plimouth.org biography of Experience Mitchell
• The American Genealogist vol. 12, pp. 193-99. "Gaining Experience - A Problem in the Mitchell Family" Merton Taylor Goodrich, MA