This surname is of Scottish origin, and is a locational name from the small estate of Mitchel(l)hill in Peeblesshire, so called from the Middle English male given name Michel, the vernacular form of Michael, from the Hebrew "Micha-el", "Who is like God" (the war-cry of the Archangel who led the heavenly hosts), plus the Middle English "hill", hill; hence, "Mitchel's Hill" or "Michael's Hill". Locational surnames, such as this, were originally given to local landowners, and the lord of the manor, and especially as a means of identification to those former inhabitants who left their place of origin to settle elsewhere. One George Mitchellhill, bailie of Selkirk, was recorded in the Register of the Privy Council, Scotland, in 1590, and the will of Jonet Mitchelhill of Michelhill, wife of Andro Hart, the Edinburgh painter, was published in Bannatyne (Angus) on March 17th 1606. Three of this name were members of the Scottish parliament for Selkirk between 1579 and 1667. On November 27th 1857, James Mitchelhill and Mary Fleming were married in Peebles, Peeblesshire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Sir John Mitchellhill, a "Pope's knight", which was dated 1512, in the "Records of Selkirk", Scotland, during the reign of King James 1V of Scotland, 1488 - 1513. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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