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The Mitchell / Harvey Family Genealogy
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​George’s parents were Reginald Albert Harvey and Harriet Riggall Mitchell, Lachlan’s eldest child. Reg was an electrical engineer and served in the Merchant Navy during WWII, surviving the torpedoing of his ship by a U boat after being pulled out of the sinking vessel by an American sailor. Harriet grew up in the house in Inverness where her father had his doctor’s surgery and she served in the WAAF drawing up weather maps for the bomber pilots during the war.
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Post-war, Harriet had to abandon her dream of a career as a ballerina (she was deemed too old by the time she tried to return to her dance school when the war ended) and instead, she followed in her father’s footsteps by qualifying as a doctor, also from Edinburgh University.
Harriet and Reg met in Elgin, Scotland and moved to Cardiff in pursuit of Reg’s career. Harriet worked there for the blood transfusion service until George was born in 1962 (she later returned to medicine becoming a partner is a local practice). ​
George Harvey was raised in Coulsdon Surrey and attended Exeter University studying for a degree in chemistry where he met Barbara Ayton in the first few days. Barbara hails from Ireland and studied geography. George and Barbara married in 1986 and settled in a small village in the countryside northwest of London. Barbara had an extensive career in research (social and business) and George worked in chemistry & marketing until eventually setting up his own businesses.
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They have two daughters Rachel and Jessica, both of whom are married. Harriet was pitch perfect and that gene appears to have forged its way through her descendants. Rachel continued the tradition of attending Edinburgh University – studying music there and her sister Jessica who followed her parents to Exeter University and went on to do a masters at Liverpool University, is a professional musician.
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George (who is also a musician) and Barbara are now happily and actively retired and enjoying sport, music, travel and spending time with the family, including their two-year-old grandson. One of Barbara’s retirement hobbies has been to research their family trees and it was through the tree she was working on for George - and a message left on a family tree website - that Lachlan’s watch has found its way home and is now re-united with his wartime medals and OBE.
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"It’s hard to put into words what we felt when we opened the package from the US to see Lal’s near perfect watch inside and to hold it over 100 years after George’s grandfather wore it through some of the toughest times in his life. We will keep it safe for Lal’s great-great grandson and hopefully beyond but we promise it will see ‘active service’ on special occasions too!"
