(1780 - 1868)
Alexander Mitchell was born on 13th April, 1780 in South WilliamStreet, Dublin.When he was young, he saw little of his father, who was an Inspector-General of British Barracks in Ireland. When he was seven, the family moved up north to Pine Hill near Belfast. Here, Mitchell went to school for the first time at the age of eight. They remained here for four years, during which time the eldest daughter Mary died, followed shortly by their father when Mitchell was 10.
The
house in South William Street where Alexander Mitchell was born. Mrs Mitchell with Alexander, his sister and two
of his brothers rented a cottage a mile from
Belfast
. From here,
Mitchell attended the best classical school in Belfast. He
greatly enjoyed his school life, showing a marked taste for
mathematics. But his sight always defective, declined rapidly, so
that by the age of 16, he could no longer read (Possibly his
sight may have been overstrained in his childhood, by lying on
the floor of the hall in William street, reading by the dim light
that came from the street lamp, through the fanlight over the
door). Although this was the case, he seems to have learned a lot
in school, as his family constantly came to him for help in
geography, history and even spelling. In 1798, during the
Irish Rebellion
, Alexander (aged 18)
was sent to friends in
Scotland
>. When he was 21, he
married his neighbour Mary Banks, with whom he had five children.
His mother was so displeased with this match, that she would not
see him for over a year. It was around this time that he
began to manufacture bricks, a prosperous business that continued
for over 30 years, enabling him to buy ground and build about 20
houses in Belfast. His appearance was that of a strong and active
man. He was tall, over 6ft in height with broad shoulders. He had
many visitors to his home, including
Dr.Romney Robinson
, whose
company he delighted in, and
Dr.Boole
the mathematician. Some
people were not aware he was blind, as he turned to those he
spoke to, and seemed to look directly at them. It is amusing to
find out that people often played whist and backgammon with him,
and ended the game without knowing that he could not see. That a daughter
or grandchild sat at his side and mentioned the throw of the
dice, or whispered the names of the cards, passed unobserved. In 1823, he wrote a paper on "Meteoric
Stones" which was read at the Natural History Society, of
which he was elected a member shortly thereafter. Living by the
sea, he often pondered on the trials of shipwrecked men, and he
set his mind to think out some means of warning
ships of danger from rocky shores. In 1828 his thinking provided
him with the answer. Four years later, he became known as the inventor and
patentee of the "Mitchell Screwpile and mooring", a
simple yet effective means of constructing durable lighthouses in
deep water, on mud-banks and shifting sands, of fixing beacons,
and of mooring ships. It was first used for the foundation of the
Maplin Sand lighthouse, at the mouth of the Thames, in 1838.
Screw Pile and mooring
After the success of screwpiles had been
established, they were applied to more extensive undertakings.
The Government Breakwater at Portland, the long Viaduct and
bridges on the
Bombay
and Beroda railway, the whole system of
Indian telegraphs, and the
Madras
pier, were among the works
accomplished with this invention. Mitchell's improved method of mooring
ships was likewise generally adopted. On the 9th May 1837, he was elected an
Associate of the
Institution of Civil Engineers
, London. In 1839
he went to Belfast to prepare for building a lighthouse at
Fleetwood. He did not spare himself any labour that he thought
necessary for perfecting the work, but climbed the ladders,
crawled along the planks, and examined the woodwork. When told
he was risking a fall, he said he was safer than others, because
by not seeing the water beneath him, he did not become giddy.
On many occasions he stayed out the whole day, cheering his men
at their work, and leading them in singsongs as they marched
round on the raft driving in the screws. Drawing of Dundalk
Bay and Harbour lighthouse
In July 1844 the lighthouse in Belfast Lough
was finished. In November 1844 he was elected Associate of the
Belfast Anacreontic society. He greatly enjoyed attending the
various concerts they organised. He was very fond of music,
understanding its theory and well versed in its history. In 1847
he went to Courtown
, Co.Wexford, to build a pier there. The
following year he built a new kind of boat, which he called the
Zangada, and spent many happy hours sailing in it around Belfast
Lough. His taste for mechanics was strong and he
prepared a paper giving an account of the many mechanical
projects he had carried out from early childhood. One of these
contained the fundamental idea of the screw-propeller which was
used on ships, whose captains' reported an increased speed and a
smaller consumption of coal. On the 20th June 1848, he was made a member of
the Institution of Civil Engineers, and the Telford medal given
to him. Later that year he built two lighthouses in Soldier's
point, Dundalk. In May 1851, he moved to Queenstown where he and
his son laid the foundation for the lighthouse in the cove of
Cork
. During the winter months spent here, he amused himself by
writing on the flight of birds and men' efforts to fly. Portland Breakwater Pier
Even in his poorest and anxious days, Alexander
Mitchell was full of good spirit. When friends called, there
was always music, as he played the flute and
accordion, and sang many Irish songs. In 1864, his wife died at
the age of 86. He died four years later on 25th June, 1868. He is indeed a man to be honoured and admired,
a man of enormous courage, hope and human sympathy, as well as a
clear and vigorous intellect. His cheerfulness and independence
led most people to forget his blindness. 
Characteristics:
Achievements:
Later life:
