Keith Mitchell

I have worked for The National Archives for over 12 years. I am presently part of the Foreign and Contemporary Team.
I have interests in Foreign and Colonial records and family history. I have given talks on Overseas births, marriages and deaths and Phillippe d'Auvergne, RN.
With the vast collection of Public Records, it is easy to find a new and interesting subject to research.

South America and the power of steam

Keith Mitchell, 29 January 2018 - Foreign affairs and diplomacy, The National Archives

The independence of South America bought an influx of opportunities for commerce and investment from Europe and North America. Everyone wanted a piece of the newly opened continent. Merchants, industrialists, and entrepreneurs arrived to make their fortunes.
Why could South America not follow European and North American railway expansion to modernise the infrastructure and open access to the remote country?

Britain and an independent South America

Keith Mitchell, 18 August 2016 - Finance and economics, Foreign affairs and diplomacy, The National Archives

The Napoleonic Wars in Europe in the early 19th Century saw the Spanish colonies in South America looking towards their own governance and the chance for independence. Joseph Bonaparte was on the throne of Spain, and the deposed Spanish King …

British diplomacy and the independence of South America

Keith Mitchell, 25 April 2016 - Foreign affairs and diplomacy, The National Archives

The independence of many South American countries from Spanish and Portuguese rule followed uprisings and wars from 1806 to the mid-1820s. British diplomacy in the independence of South America was, generally, about trade. Britain was an ally with Portugal and …

The Hertslets, a Family of Librarians

Keith Mitchell, 10 July 2015 - Foreign affairs and diplomacy, Foreign Office Historians, The National Archives

There are various departments within the civil service which were, you could say, family affairs. The Foreign Office was undoubtedly the department in which this practice was the most spread. Appointments to the diplomatic service were often based upon recommendations and who …

Administrators of the British Empire

Keith Mitchell, 8 December 2014 - Civil service, Foreign affairs and diplomacy

The Colonial Office and the Foreign Office have very distinct histories. The British Colonies were initially administered jointly by the Secretary of State for War, and the Board of Trade, who were focused on their own interests, not necessarily the Colonies themselves. From 1795 all …

The Silver Greyhound - The Messenger Service

Keith Mitchell, 25 March 2014 - Civil service, Foreign affairs and diplomacy, The National Archives

Everyone likes the opportunity to travel in their job; especially if you are asked to go overseas, and sometimes you may choose to take your work home with you. This is a long established practice for many occupations. But the …

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