Charles Mitchell (colonial administrator)

Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell GCMG (1836 – 7 December 1899) was a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Marines, before joining the Colonial Service, in which he served in British Honduras, British Guiana, Natal. He then served as Governor of Fiji, of the British Colony of Natal & Zululand (1881–1882), and of the Straits Settlements (1 February 1894 to 7 December 1899).

Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell GCMG
Charles Mitchell
Acting Governor of Natal
In office 22 December 1881 – 6 March 1882
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Redvers Buller
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Bulwer
3rd High Commissioner for the Western Pacific
In office January 1887 – February 1888
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Sir John Bates Thurston (acting)
Succeeded by	Sir John Thurston
4th Governor of Fiji
In office January 1887 – February 1888
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Sir John Bates Thurston (acting)
Succeeded by	Sir John Thurston
Acting Governor of the Leeward Islands
In office 1888–1888
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Jenico Preston, 14th Viscount Gormanston
Succeeded by	Sir William Smith
7th Governor of Natal
In office December 1889 – July 1893
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Sir Arthur Havelock
Succeeded by	Francis Haden (acting)
14th Governor of the Straits Settlements
In office 1 February 1894 – 7 December 1899
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	William Edward Maxwell
Succeeded by	Sir James Alexander Swettenham (acting)
Personal details
Born	1836 London, United Kingdom
Died	7 December 1899(1899-12-07) (aged 62–63) Singapore
Resting place	St. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
Citizenship	British
Spouse(s)	Fanny Rice (d.1885) Eliza Weldon,
Children	Hugh Mitchell
Profession	Colonial Administrator, Royal Marines officer
Military service
Branch/service	Royal Marines
Years of service	1852–1878
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel

Career

Military

Mitchell attended the Royal Naval School and joined the Royal Marines in 1852.[1] He served with them in the Baltic campaigns from 1854–1856.[1] He retired from the marines in 1878 as a lieutenant-colonel.[1]

Civil career

Mitchell begin his colonial career as Colonial Secretary of British Honduras in July 1868. He also administrated the Government in 1870, 1874 and 1876.[1]

Mitchell was the Receiver General in British Guiana in 1877 and followed by Colonial Secretary of Natal in November 1877. He was the Acting Governor of Natal in 1881, 1882 and 1885–1886.[1]

Mitchell was the Governor of Fiji between 1887 and 1888.[1]

Mitchell administered the Government of Natal and Zululand in 1889 and was eventually appointed as the Governor in the October of the same year.[1][2]

Mitchell was the Governor of the Straits Settlement between 1894 and 1899.[3][4]

Personal life

Mitchell's first wife Fanny Rice died in 1885. He remarried to Eliza Weldon. He had a son, Colonel Hugh Mitchell of the Royal Marines.

Mitchell died on 7 December 1899, while in office as Governor of the Straits Settlements.[4] He was buried in St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore, his tombstone was erected "To the glory of God and in memory of His Excellency Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell Royal Marine Light Infantry, G.C.M.G. Governor of the Colony who died in Singapore on 7 December 1899. This tablet is erected by the members of the Civil Service of the Straits Settlements."

Marines from HMS Hermione served as an honour guard and pallbearers for the Mitchell's funeral.[5]

Awards and honours

Charles Mitchell was invested with Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) in 1880,[6] Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1883[7] and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1895.[8]

Legacy

Mitchell Park Zoo in Durban, South Africa is named after him.[9]

References

1. "FRIDAY, 16th JUNE. The Governorship". Straits Times Weekly Issue. 20 June 1893. p. 6.
2. "BRITISH COLONY OF NATAL". Archived from the original on 30 July 2009.
3. "The Swearing-in Ceremony". Daily Advertiser. 1 February 1894. p. 3.
4. "Sudden Death of H. E. the Governor". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 7 December 1899. p. 3.
5. North China Herald, 2 May 1900, p785
6. "No. 24831". The London Gazette. 6 April 1880. p. 2431.
7. "No. 25233". The London Gazette. 24 May 1883. p. 2731.
8. "No. 26628". The London Gazette. 25 May 1895. pp. 3079–3080.
9. "Mitchell Park Zoo". Archived from the original on 24 January 2010.

• Obituary, The Times, Friday 8 December 1899; pg. 6
• William A. Shaw (2010). The Knights of England. a Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of All the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of Knights Bachelors. Clearfield Company. ISBN 978-0-8063-5132-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "Image of Sir Charles Mitchell". Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2008.

Government offices
Preceded by Redvers Buller	Governor of Natal, acting 1881–1882	Succeeded by Sir Henry Bulwer
Preceded by Sir John Bates Thurston, acting	High Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1887–1888	Succeeded by Sir John Bates Thurston
	Governor of Fiji 1887–1888
Preceded by Lord Gormanston	Governor of the Leeward Islands, acting 1888	Succeeded by Sir William Frederick Haynes Smith
Preceded by Sir Arthur Havelock	Governor of Natal 1889–1893	Succeeded by Sir Francis Haden, acting
Preceded by William Edward Maxwell, acting	Governor of the Straits Settlements 1894–1899	Succeeded by James Alexander Swettenham, acting