 His father, Alfred, was of Cornish descent and worked as a property dealer in the capital, while his mother Enid (née Carden) was the daughter of baronet Sir Frederick Carden.The eldest of three children, Michell's siblings were named Charles and Clare.Michell was raised at Stargroves, his maternal grandfather's Victorian-era estate on the Berkshire Downs near to Newbury, and it was here that he developed a love of the countryside, learning about the local flora and fauna from a neighbouring naturalist.