Experience Mitchell was born about 1603 (based on his estimated date of marriage). He died in Bridgewater by May 14, 1689, The date his inventory was taken.

He came to America aboard the Anne or Little James in 1623 from Holland. Experience is believed to be the son of Thomas Mitchell who lived first in Amsterdam as a member of Francis Johnson’s congregation, and then moved to Leiden. He married Maria Tromdin and after her death, Margaret (Williams) Stocking, widow of Christopher Stochin/Stocking after April 15, 1606, in Amsterdam. Experience had a nephew, Thomas, who lived in Amsterdam, with whom he corresponded in later life.

Experience came to Plymouth as a single man. He was on the 1633 list of Plymouth freemen. He served on a number of juries and in 1658 was Duxbury’s surveyor of highways. He moved to Duxbury by 1639 and to Bridgewater between 1684 and 1689.

Experience married (1) Jane Cooke after May 22, 1627.She died sometime before 1641 and he married (2) Mary _____. The two oldest Mitchell children can be confidently attributed to Jane, and the last child as born to Mary. Due to the gap between the birth of the third and fourth children, it is generally believed that Jane died during that period.

Children of Experience and Jane Mitchell:

• Elizabeth was born about 1628. She married John Washburn on December 6, 1645,in Plymouth and had eleven children. She died between 1681 and 1684.
• Thomas was born about 1630 in Plymouth. He died after August 1,1672.
• Mary was born about 1632. She married (1) James Shaw on December 24, 1652, in Plymouth and had two children. She married (2) John Jenny after December 6, 1684, and was still living on November 17, 1699.

Children of Experience and Mary Mitchell (tentative):

• Sarah was born about 1641. She married John Hayward by April 1661 and had ten children.
• Jacob was born about 1643. He married Susanna Pope on November 7, 1666, in Plymouth and had three children. They were both killed in June 1675 during King Philip’s War.
• Edward was born about 1645. He married (1) Mary Hayward about 1668 but had no children. He married (2) Alice Bradford on August 26, 1708, in Plymouth and had three children. He died in Bridgewater on March 15, 1716/7.
• John was born about 1650.He married (1) Mary Bonney on December 14, 1675, in Duxbury and had two children. He married (2) Mary Lathrop on January 14, 1679/80, in Duxbury. He married (3) Mary Prior on May 24, 1682, in Duxbury and had eight children. He died in Providence, Rhode Island on October 14, 1719.
• Hannah was born about 1662. She married Joseph Hayward by 1682 and had eight children. She died after 1702.

[Source: A collaboration between Plimoth Plantation and the New England Historic Genealogical Society, www.PlymouthAncestors.org]