Charles Mitchell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other people named Charles Mitchell see Charles Mitchell (disambiguation)

Dr. Charles Mitchell (1820 - August 22, 1895), was an Aberdonian, who founded major shipbuilding yards on the Tyne. He became a public benefactor who funded outstanding buildings which can still be admired today.

He attended Aberdeen University. After an engineering apprenticeship in London, he became a ship designer working for John Coutts' Newcastle-upon-Tyne yard in 1842. He became a shipbuilder in his own right at the Walker yard on the Tyne in 1852, which joined in partnership with the Armstrong yard in 1882.

Starting in 1857 he built ships for Russia, and in 1862 he set up shipyards in St Petersburg. He received a diamond studded snuff box worth 3,000 guineas and a national decoration for his work for Russia.

He was a benefactor of the University of Aberdeen after whom the Mitchell Tower (1895) and Mitchell Hall are named. His university conferred on him the degree of LL.D. In Jesmond he donated the land and £30,000 for the construction of elegant art nouveaux St George's church (1888).

Right up to his death at the age of 75 he directed the ship building activities of Sir W.G. Armstrong, Mitchell and Co. In 1897, after he died, the firm became Armstrong Whitworth which is now part of Vickers Armstrong.