Historical information

John Mitchell was born c. 1830 in Cornwall and travelled to Victoria with his father in 1853. Arriving in Bendigo they both worked as blacksmiths before his father returned to Cornwall. John plied his trade in Mundy Street, Bendigo before selling the business in 1865 after 11 years. Upon the discovery of gold in Western Australia, John travelled there and back three times before dying in Bendigo in 1902. He lived in Violet st., and left a wife, Elizabeth Hannah, and daughter, Mrs E Morris.

Significance

Early business in Sandhurst in 1850s.

Physical description

An account book used by the John Mitchell to record the purchases and services made with his business. Records date from 1859 - 1868. The book has lost its front cover, but the back cover is still attached. The book is made up of several sections stitched together and bound with three pieces of cotton cloth. The pages are light blue with ruled columns. There are alphabetical tabs at the front of the book with lists of names. Individual customers are allocated a double page entry. Pages numbers are written at the top of pages.
The book is in very poor condition having obvious signs of water and insect damage with visible patches of mold. The writing in the first quarter of the book is barely legible, remaining pages can be read.