Background
He was born at Brechin on 10 September 1822, son of David Mitchell, convener of local guilds, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Ferrier of Broadmyre.
He was born at Brechin on 10 September 1822, son of David Mitchell, convener of local guilds, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Ferrier of Broadmyre.
He graduated Master of Arts
After being educated at Brechin grammar school, he proceeded in 1837 to Saint Mary"s College, Saint Andrews, winning an entrance bursary in classics. in 1841, and in 1844 was licensed to preach. After acting as assistant to the ministers at Meigle and Dundee, he was in 1847 ordained by Meigle presbytery to the charge of Dunnichen. In the same year, when only 26, he was appointed professor of Hebrew in Saint Mary"s College, where he innovated in teaching methods.
As convener from 1856 to 1875 of the committee of the mission to the Jews, Mitchell did much to develop missions in the Levant, which he visited himself in 1857.
His main interests lay, however, in Scottish ecclesiastical history, and in 1868 he succeeded John Cook as professor of divinity and ecclesiastical history in Saint Mary"s College. Mitchell held his chair for 26 years, and during that period published a number of works on Scottish ecclesiastical history.
In 1894 he retired from his professorship. He was made Doctor of Divinity of Saint Andrews in 1862, and honorary Doctor of Laws of Glasgow in 1892.
He divided his later years between his house at Gowan Park, near Brechin, and 56 South Street, Street Andrews.
He died at Saint Andrews on 22 March 1899, and was buried in Brechin cathedral churchyard.
Adhering to the established church during the secession movement, he became in 1848 a member of the general assembly.