Granny Savage & George Mitchell's family
Granny Savage
Private collection of Reigna Mitchell
Granny Savage and her son George Mitchell
Private collection of Reigna Mitchell
George Mitchell with his wife (who was known as Fuzz) and their three children.
Private collection of Reigna Mitchell
These are some old pictures of my husband, Arthur Mitchell’s family.
The lady on her own is Granny Savage who apparently was a gypsy and lived in Denton with her husband and family.
The second photo shows her with her only son George Mitchell, my husband’s father. According to tradition the eldest son always took the mother’s maiden name.
The third photo is of George Mitchell with his wife, known as Fuzz and three children. They are, Jean who was the eldest and married a Deakin, baby George is sitting on his mother’s lap and Arthur (my husband) is standing on the right.
Comments about this page
Hi I am trying to locate and make contact with a Arthur Mitchell who is the son of a George Mitchell who sold an original Dracula poster through Heritage Auctions. I will be most grateful for any assistance in this regard.
I was wondering if anyone can help? I am currently doing my family tree and have found these names I have Harriet Savage and Arthur Mitchell then their daughter Lilian who married Robert Burns. Can anybody help?
On reflection, my last post re George Mitchell, sorry, but I’m not sure if his name was George, (over fifty years ago). Arthur comes to mind but again not sure. However, what is clear in my memory was that Mrs Mitchell looked after us very well for the nine months or so we stayed there.
I lodged at the Mitchells house at 36 South Road in the mid sixties with my mate John, I remember Mrs Mitchell fairly well. I can`t recall her first name (in those days the housewife was Mrs) but I remember George Mitchell. He always sat in the front room and was short of breath, I think he had an oxygen tank by his side. Mrs Mitchell and their Daughter who visited frequently told us he suffered during the war. Mrs Mitchell was much like a mum to us, even made us sandwiches to take to work at the scrap yard just outside town, think it was called Metcalf & Motley. Good innocent times.
I remember my nan living at 36 South Road and had many happy memories there, we used to sleep there on Christmas eve and remember waking up to the smell of a goose cooking, my nan was a great cook. Then we would go up to my aunt’s and uncle’s Jean and George Deakin (who also was a great cook) my nan moved out of 36 South Road to live at Meeching Court then Hillcrest flats sadly my dad Arthur Mitchell passed away in September 2013 I have lots of happy memories of my family.
Hello Terry,yes I do remember all the names you mentioned especially Jim White. I also used to assist him on those daring adventures of replacing slates and tiles on roofs in Meeching road and Norman road. Not sure how this helped towards the progress of our apprenticeship completion. It was good to see your reply. By George Mitchell 9/11/2013
Hi Reigna & George Are you related to the Mitchells who lived at Reeds Cottages on Denton Island ?
Hello George, yes it was a good firm to work for. Les Beal and Ernie Lipscombe and yourself of course were a big influence on my career in what we call the building game. I also worked with Keith Godfrey, Dave Farley, Brian Earl, George Cohen, John Stevenson and Peter Penfold, do you remember them. Another good chap to work with was Jim White who always seemed to be perched on top of a roof in the town and it was my job to pass him Tools and tiles. Another apprentice I worked with was Ron Parker. Its good to hear from you.
Hello Terry Howard, yes I did work for Bannisters Builders all those years ago. We worked together in the joinery shop and on the building sites, great days. I remember your dad Albert and Ernie Green who worked in the office with Wad Carter. It was very good firm to work for, with the teaching skills of Les Beal, Ernie Lipscome, Maurice Balcombe and many others. Happy memories. George Mitchell 08/10/2013
I’m not from Newhaven but came across this website while browsing for old pics and memories of the town. I spent a year there with my mate John Ford in 1965/6 in digs at Mrs Mitchells, 36 South Road. I have warm memories of the town and its people and Mrs Mitchell was very good to us. As I remember, Mr Mitchell was in poor health then. I watched the 1966 World Cup final in the pub just across the road (cant recall the name though, Lord Nelson or..?)
The pub was probably the “Prince of Wales” , Mick.
John — Editor
The picture of George (my grandad) and Fuzz (my Nan also known as Ena) shows them with their three children. Jean, who was my mum, married Ernest George Deakin of the Folly Field Deakins; sadly Mum and Dad both passed away within three weeks of each other. I was born at 36 South Road where Nan used to run a bed and breakfast mainly for the lorry drivers who used the then very busy docks. Happy days.
Hello,i was told today by my nan (Mary Ashdown was baker) that Granny Savage was my great great gran. I have seen pictures and read stories about her but never realised that she was a relative.
George Mitchell worked either over the river on East Side or around the marina. At least, I always took him to be involved in shipping and boating, after Len Patten left the lifeboat I always believed him to be our maritime heritage personified.
Is George Mitchell jnr the one who used to work for Bannisters the Builders. And didn’t John Swan work for them as well?
Hi Jack,
Sorry for such a long delay in replying. I remember you from my dads Archery days. Did you own the sports shop at the top of Newhaven High Street? I do remember going out at weekends to Archery competitions with my family. And in reply to Ian Bishop. We did move to Lewes Road no. 29 part of Folly Fields.
I too was a member of the Archery Club. I believe we practiced over what is now a joinery works next to C&E Sports. Did Alf and family move into Lewes Road in about 1968? We lived there for eighteen years then moved to Peacehaven.
Hello Phil Wiltshire. I knew your Dad well when we were involved in the Newhaven Archery Club. We had a very strong adult group and over 100 children who practised in some old cottages near the bridge. Do you remember our tour of Wales. Jack Patten, Canada
Tracey. Gaynor is Arthur Mitchell’s daughter. He also has Ian and Glenn Mitchell. Fascinating to see how families evolve.
Nannie Savage was my great nannie, her daughter Harriet was my mum & Betty Urry’s mum. I never met either my Nan or my great Nan, but my sisters knew Nanny Savage and remember visiting her in Denton. I used to go to school with Gaynor Mitchell.
There are some great photo’s here. I have a photo of George in his uniform and a couple of Granny Savage with her daughter Mary when they lived in Denton. I’m doing a little research on my dad’s family Alf Wiltshire his mother was Mary Elizabeth Mitchell. I think that’s Granny (Harriet) Savage’s daughter. I understand Harriet married Arthur Savage in 1909 and at the time she was a widow. Does anyone have any more information of her previous marriage or family memories.
I went to school with Arthur Mitchell, of course I knew his younger brother George who we all called “Jammy” for some reason. They lived in South Road next door to “Tiger” Holden, the dock policeman’s son. Nice to see that Johnny Snow is contributing. I remember your dear Mother John when she worked at Parkers next door to Parsons the greengrocers in Meeching Road.
Lovely photos Reigna, I remember seeing George Mitchell Snr sitting on the doorstep of Number 36 South Road as I went to school; he always had his army hat on his head – lovely man. I remember George Jnr, Arthur, and Jean very well.
I understand Uncle Bert, as he was known to me, spent most of his army service in Burma with the Australian army (Chindits, I think) where he caught malaria which stayed with him for the rest of his life.
My husband’s father, George Mitchell, was in The West African Frontier Force.
Interesting old pictures. This web site is certainly becoming more interesting by the day as people post memories & photos. Although George obviously joined the British Army, I would be interested to know why he appears to be wearing an Australian Army Hat.
George Jnr has white hair and beard now. Funny you can’t remember Jean though.
Some grand old pictures there, Reigna. I can’t remember Granny. I remember your husband’s father, George, and the mother though. (I wonder if young George still has his curly hair?). I can’t seem to recall Jean though, (memory not what it used to be these days).
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