Charles Wand Mitchell (1878 - 1917)

Born 9 Apr 1878 in Ascot Township, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Ancestors

Died 3 May 1917 at age 39 in Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France

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Biography

Charles was born on Maple Braes farm, Ascot, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, on 9 April 1878. He was the son of Robert Mitchell and Mary McLaren. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

At the age of 17, he entered Bishop's University and studied the classics, Latin and Greek honours. In June 1900, he graduated from the Faculty of Divinity with full honours. ^[5]

In 1902, he left Canada for further study at the University of Cambridge as an Advanced Student. In 1903 he passed the required standard in the Theological Tripos and in 1904 the Oriental Languages Tripos (Hebrew and Aramaic). The following year in 1905, he was appointed Hebrew Master at Merchant Taylors' School, London, a post which he held till he went out to the Front as a Chaplain. He was ordained in 1907, and took his M.A. in 1912. During this time he began the work of translating S. Ephraim's Prose Refutations from Syriac into English. The text of these Refutations, sheds light upon religious and philosophical thought in the Euphrates Valley sixteen centuries ago. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

He never forgot that he was a Canadian. Following the outbreak of War, when the first Canadian Contingent landed in Plymouth, England, he felt it impossible that they should be in the post of danger and he stay behind. And so, in 1915, he went to the Front as Chaplain 4th Class, to the 8'th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. ^{[6] [8] [2]}

He passed away on 3 May 1917, age 39, of wounds received from an artillery shell, during the Third Battle of the Scarpe, just east of the village of Monchey-le-Preux. At the time, he was helping a doctor bandage the wounded near the firing line. ^{[9] [10] [8]} He is buried at Faubourg-d'Amiems Cemetery, Arras, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France ^{[11] [2] [1]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 31 January 2021), memorial page for Rev Charles Wand Mitchell (9 Apr 1878–3 May 1917), Find a Grave Memorial no. 55910267, citing Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France ; Maintained by War Graves (contributor 6) .
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} CanadianGreatWarProject, Website dedicated to the Canadian men and woman that served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the Great War (1914-1919), (http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/searches/soldierDetail.asp?ID=65014 : accessed 22 February 2021), Chaplain 4th Class Charles Wand Mitchell.
3. ↑ Canada Census, 1891, database with images, Library and Archives of Canada (https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=4587829 : accessed 31 January 2021), Charles W Mitchell, Ascot, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Schedule 1 (https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1891&op=img&id=30953_148223-00700), page 25, line 9.
4. ↑ Canada Census, 1901, database with images, Library and Archives of Canada ( https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1901/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=6500972 : accessed 31 January 2021), C W Mitchell, Ascot, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Schedule 1 (http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1901&op=img&id=z000172011), page 12, line 10.
5. ↑ Harrison, Ernestine Roberta Roy. KALEIDOSCOPE, Mitchell Family History, page 94.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Harrison, Ernestine Roberta Roy. KALEIDOSCOPE, Mitchell Family History, page 95.
7. ↑ C.W. Mitchell, S. Ephraim's Prose Refutations of Mani, Marcion, and Bardaisan of which the Greater Part has been Transcribed from the Palimpsest B.M. Add 14623 and is now First Published. Volume 1: The Discourses Addressed to Hypatius (http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ephraim1_0_intro.htm : accessed 22 February 2021), Preface describes translation process by C.W. Mitchell.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} C.W. Mitchell and Completed by A.A. Bevan and F.C Burkitt, S. Ephraim's Prose Refutations of Mani, Marcion, and Bardaisan Transcribed from the Palimpsest B.M. Add 14623. Volume 2: The Discourse Called 'Of Domnus' and Six other Writings (http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ephraim2_0_intro.htm : accessed 22 February 2021), Preface provides a good overview of the life and character of C.W. Mitchell.
9. ↑ 8th (Service) Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, Website (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_(Service)_Battalion,_East_Yorkshire_Regiment#cite_ref-42 : accessed 22 February 2021), Reference to Charles Wand Mitchell, Padre, causality of the Third Battle of the Scarpe on May 3.
10. ↑ Looking at Filey Redux, Blog (https://lafredux.blog/2018/05/03/monchy-le-preux-1917/ : accessed 22 February 2021), Monchy-le-Preux, 1917, Short account of the Third Battle of the Scarpe, east of Monchy-le-Preux.
11. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves, website (https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/574517/mitchell,-the-rev.-charles-wand/ : accessed 22 February 2021), CHAPLAIN 4TH CLASS, The Rev. CHARLES WAND MITCHELL