Charles Mitchell (shipbuilder)

After an engineering apprenticeship in London, he became a ship designer working for John Coutts' Newcastle upon Tyne yard in 1842.

[4] He was decorated with the Imperial Order of St Stanislaus, 2nd class (normal for foreign nationals), which may be seen in the coat of arms over the door of Jesmond Towers.

[4] Jesmond Towers, until 2008 the La Sagesse School, is a Gothic Revival building that was built in several stages in the nineteenth century.

[5] In 1871, Mitchell was among those greeting the High Admiral, Grand Duke Konstantin at Newcastle Central station, after which the party drove on to Jesmond Towers.

The Lewis organ was originally provided with air by two powerful hydraulic engines supplied by Mitchell's neighbour in Jesmond Dene, Baron Armstrong.

In 1873 C. Mitchell & Co. built the 4,935 GRT CS Hooper , the World's first purpose-built cable-laying ship . It was renamed CS Silvertown in 1881 and is pictured here in 1901.