Charles Mitchell

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For other persons 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.

He was decorated with the Imperial Order of St Stanislaus, 2nd class (normal for foreign nationals), and this may be seen in the coat of arms over the door of Jesmond Towers. Jesmond Towers, now the La Sagesse School, is in the gothic style and looks old, but it was built in several stages in the nineteenth century. The main work we see is by John Dobson the famous Newcastle architect. In 1871, Mitchell was among those greeting the High Admiral, Grand Duke Constantine at Newcastle Central station, after which the party drove on to Jesmond Towers. The Russian guests had come to visit the Low Walker yard and have a quick tour of the river.

In 1887, Mitchell commissioned the elegant art nouveau church of St George's Jesmond from Thomas Ralph Spence (1848-1918), the secretary of the Newcastle Arts Association. The building is high and dramatic inside and of excellent workmanship throughout (commented upon by Bernard Shaw on his visit in the 1890s). The stained glass is especially fine, and the mosaic figures were designed by Mitchell's own son, C.W. Mitchell. The splendid Lewis organ was originally provided with air by two powerful hydraulic engines supplied by Mitchell's neighbour in Jesmond Dene, Lord Armstrong. In Jesmond he donated the land from the Jesmond Towers estate 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 Rolls Royce plc and BAE Systems.