▁John ▁Cook ▁and ▁Sarah ▁Ch own ▁Mitchell , ▁the ▁sixth ▁of ▁ten ▁children ▁to ▁grow ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁Mitchell ▁home . ▁Mitchell ' s ▁father ▁( a ▁t enth ▁child ) ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Canada ▁from ▁St . ▁Aust ell , ▁Corn wall . ▁His ▁mother , ▁born ▁in ▁King ston , ▁was ▁the ▁t enth ▁child ▁of ▁parents ▁who ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Canada ▁from ▁Dev ons hire . ▁At ▁age ▁twelve ▁Mitchell ▁went ▁off ▁to ▁King ston ▁Colleg iate ▁Institute . ▁From ▁there , ▁he ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁Queen ' s ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁Masters ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁mathematics ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 . ▁While ▁at ▁Queen ' s ▁University , ▁he ▁acquired ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁techniques ▁of ▁an ▁astronom ical ▁observ atory ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁astronom ical ▁instruments ▁of ▁the ▁university . ▁ ▁Upon ▁encourag ement ▁from ▁his ▁math ▁professor , ▁Nathan ▁Dup uis , ▁he ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁for ▁The ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁University ▁to ▁study ▁math ▁under ▁Simon ▁New comb , ▁only ▁to ▁find ▁New comb ▁retired . ▁Thomas ▁Craig ▁was ▁the ▁new ▁head ▁of ▁mathematics ▁and ▁Mitchell ▁also ▁began ▁study ▁under ▁Charles ▁Lane ▁Po or , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁astronom y . ▁Po or ▁was ▁an ▁excellent ▁teacher ▁and ▁Mitchell ▁was ▁incl ined ▁to ▁follow ▁astronom y ▁from ▁that ▁point ▁on . ▁Mitchell ▁was ▁awarded ▁an ▁astronom y ▁assistant ship ▁for ▁his ▁second ▁year ▁at ▁J H U ▁and ▁continued ▁until ▁he