Most of the family trees that I've seen for Lewis Bell say that he died in about 1831. Since he doesn't appear in the 1840 census records, at least not that I can find, I agree that he most likely died between 1830 and 1840. I haven't found any evidence of a will or cemetery record for him. I searched the will indexes in the Miami County Probate court records in Troy, OH this past August, and there was no Bell estate in the oldest books there.
The Palmer Chapel Cemetery in Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH has tombstones with death dates back into the 1830's - even one back to 1819 - so Lewis Bell could have been buried there, but noone recorded it on the cemetery lists that I've seen.
Mary Anderson Bell probably survived him. The 1850 Federal census for Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH lists Jeremiah Bennett and his wife Nancy (Bell) Bennett. Nancy was Lewis and Mary Bell's daughter. Also listed in this census record are Vincent Bell aged 45 and Mary Bell aged 83, born in Virginia. It seems most likely that this Mary Bell was Nancy's mother and Vincent Bell was Nancy's brother.
I found a record on Family Search that says Mary Anderson Bell died on 18 Feb 1851. Since I can't find her in the 1860 census, this would fit the facts that I have so far. If she died in Bethel Twp, Miami Co, she may have been buried at Palmer Chapel Cemetery, but her name was not listed on any cemetery listings that I've found so far.
Just this week I received an e-mail from a descendant of William Bell, Lewis & Mary Bell's son. He was married to Rebecca Davis, and they lived in Greene Co, Miami Co, and Shelby Co, OH. He had information from another direct descendant who recorded the following notes:
1) Lewis may have served in 111 Reg't (Parkers) Virginia Militia as a private during the war of 1812 - Roll Box 15, Roll Exct 602.
2) King George County VA 21 Nov 1778. Will of Thomas Ficklin mentions daughters, Susannah Sweetnaim, Ann Fewell, Margaret Jenkins, Sarah Swetnam, Elizabeth Ficklin, and Lucy Ficklin; son, John Ficklin; sons-in-law, Wm. Sweetnaim and John Swetnam; brother Benjamin Ficklin; nephew, James Bowen; grandson Lewis Bell. Two other Ficklin women also married Bell's, one went to Ohio, the other to MO.
3) William Bell inherited an interest in a Mill belonging to James Anderson and had to sue Vincent Anderson.
4) Lewis Bell and Rebecca's brother posted the bond for William Bell's marriage to Rebecca Davis.
Note 1 regarding the War of 1812 - Lewis would have been at least 42 years of age in 1812. It seems unlikely that he served, but it is certainly possible, especially in the Militia if it was a "home guard" unit. He was certainly still living in Virginia in 1812.
Note 2 regarding the will - If Bell was mentioned, but his mother (whose maiden name had to be Ficklin) was not, it strongly suggests that he was an orphan, or at least that his mother had died. In 1778, Lewis would have been between 8 and 12 years old. His father wasn't mentioned either, so it's hard to judge, but this could be a reason why our family tree stops at Lewis. Maybe he didn't remember much about his parents. OR, maybe this is a different Lewis Bell. It's certainly something to keep in mind - and another family to research for clues.
Note 3 regarding the mill - It's interesting that James and Vincent Anderson, brothers of Mary Anderson Bell, are both buried at Palmer Chapel Cemetery. Vincent lived to be 81, James only 61. James died in 1842, so the dispute over the mill must have happened in the years following his death.
Note 4 regarding William Bell's marriage - good information to have.
I think that wraps up all the information I've collected about Lewis Bell and Mary Anderson to date. I need to follow-up on the 1812 war record and the Ficklin will when I have time. I also need to double-check my RootsMagic database to see if all the sources are correctly documented for Lewis and Mary.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Lewis Bell & Mary Anderson Part 2
Today I will look at several unsourced family trees for Lewis Bell and Mary Anderson. Some of the information is very helpful when trying to search for source documents, especially census records.
Family Search (the LDS family history online database)
There is a Family Group Record for Lewis Bell and Mary Anderson of Fauquier Co, VA. It lists nine children, they are:
1) James male (11 Jan 1794 - 1 Jan 1835). Place of death West Lebanon, Warren, Indiana.
2) Rebecca female (1797 - none listed).
3) Fielding male (1792 - 1854). Place of death Bedford, Tennessee.
4) Nancy female (1801 - 26 Feb 1883).
5) Vincent male (1802 - June 1859). Place of death Shelby, Ohio.
6) Harrison male (1797 - after 1850). Place of death Poss, Shelby, Ohio. [NOTE: I know that all of this information is incorrect.]
7) Elizabeth female (1804 - none listed).
8) Thomas male (Jul 1809 - 2 Aug 1854). Place of death Adams, Indiana.
9) Margaret female (1811 - none listed).
Interestingly, William Bell, the one son mentioned in the deed of trust (see yesterday's post) is not listed on this Family Group Sheet.
DAR Magazine
There was a "reader query" in a 1918 DAR magazine which listed the names of all of Lewis and Mary Anderson Bell's children. There are no dates, but it does mention some spouses, which is helpful as well.
"BELL - Ancestry desired. Probably came from Maryland to Virginia; m Mary Anderson in Fauquier Co., Va., where all of their children were born, and moved to Ohio with children in about 1821; settled at Bellbrook, named for Bell. He had ten children: William, m Rebecca Davis, dau of "Parson Davis," (probably Wm. F. R. Davis, in Va., where several of their children were born) James, Margaret, Fielding, Harrison, Vincent, Thomas (my mother's father), Nancy Elizabeth (who m my uncle Geo. Anderson), Rebecca."
[NOTE: I looked into the theory that they settled in Bellbrook, Greene Co, OH and found little to support it. See later in this post regarding Thomas C Bell, son of William Bell and Rebecca Davis.]
The same reader listed two other queries - one about the Anderson family and one about the Mattox family. Both of those surnames were in his lineage. The reader signs his query "R. S. A." His grandfather was Vincent Anderson who married Mary Mattox.
One thing that I do find interesting about this query is that it ties the Anderson and Bell families pretty tightly together. There are Anderson, Mattox and Slagle's (Harrison Bell's in-laws) all buried in the Palmer Chaple Cemetery in Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH. I saw Vincent Anderson's tombstone there this past August.
So I am taking the names of the 10 children as fairly accurate. I believe the 1918 reader query had to be based on family bibles or oral family tradition. I then began to search census records for more clues about the family.
I already found the 1810, 1820 and 1830 census records for Lewis Bell which match pretty closely with the names and dates that are on the Family Search Family Group Sheet above.
Now I have started looking for more census records about Lewis Bell's children. This is what I found today.
1840 Federal Census for Turtle Creek Twp, Shelby Co, OH
Wm Bell
The ages of the people in this household closely correlate to a family tree that I found on Family Search for William Bell, the son of Lewis Bell of Fauquier County, VA. The submitter was William Bell of Talahassee, FL.
There is also a male aged 60-69 in the household who COULD BE Lewis Bell, but also could be someone else. I believe that Lewis Bell probably died before 1840 or he would be listed as head of household - see my next note about his wife/widow.
There is also a female aged 40-49 who could be, and probably is, Rebecca Davis Bell, William's wife. I don't agree with the family trees that say William Bell had a third wife who he married in the 1830's. Rebecca Bell is listed as head of household in 1850 with all of their children listed by name.
1840 Federal Census for Franklin Twp, Shelby Co, OH
Fielding Bell
There are 3 males aged 30-39 and 1 female aged 20-29 and 1 female aged 60-69. I think this may be a household of the 4 unmarried children of Lewis and Mary Bell. That would be Fielding, James, Vincent and Elizabeth Bell. The ages don't quite match up, but that is a common error on census records. The older woman is quite possibly Mary Anderson Bell, their mother.
Two lines down from Fielding Bell is
Thomas Bell
This is another one of Lewis Bell's sons. There are 4 young children (1 male, 3 female) along with Thomas Bell aged 30-39 which matches what I know of his probable birthdate, and a female aged 20-29, who must be Minerva Helmer Bell, his wife. I have been in contact with a descendant of Thomas Bell and his information matches this Census record.
1850 Federal Census for Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH
Jeremiah Bennett
The descendant of Thomas Bell has also given me some information about Nancy Bell, daughter of Lewis Bell, and recorded that she married Jeremiah Bennett. I know that Harrison Bell's son James B Bell's middle name was Bennett, so that is a probable connection to the family. This census record lists Nancy Bennett, aged 36 - which sounds a little young for the Nancy Bell who was Lewis Bell's daughter. However, the writing is very hard to read, and I've certainly known many census record ages to be wrong.
Vincent Bell is also a member of the household - aged 45 or 48 (hard to read). That matches the age of Vincent Bell who was the son of Lewis Bell. Another household member is Mary Bell, aged 83. This could easily be Mary Anderson Bell, widow of Lewis Bell and mother of Nancy and Vincent Bell.
John Anderson
The same township census record has John Anderson, aged 36, born in Kentucky with Mary Bell, aged 73, born in Virginia, living with him. This could also be Mary Anderson Bell, widow of Lewis Bell, living with a nephew. I would guess it more likely that she would be living with her daughter and son than with a nephew.
Find-A-Grave Carey Cemetery, Shelby County, OH
William Bell
There is a memorial listed on the Find A Grave website for William Bell, husband of Rebecca (Davis) Bell. It lists his birth date as Feb 18, 1796 and his death date as Jan 15, 1845. There is no photo, so I don't know if a lookup was done at the cemetery, or just listed by a descendant.
Rebecca Bell
Another memorial is listed for Rebecca (Davis) Bell. Her birth date is listed as Aug 1, 1793 and her death date as Mar 29, 1862. Again, no photo or source is indicated. Her parents are listed - William A Davis (1766 - 1837) and Elizabeth (Cocston) Davis (1760-1841).
Someone else linked Thomas Cowan Bell to these two memorials saying that they were his parents. He was one of the founders of the Sigma Chi fraternity when he attended Miami University in Oxford, OH in the 1850's. This Thomas C Bell was born in Greene Co, OH according to the Sigma Chi biography, and served in the Civil War (I looked up his pension records on Footnote and they matched a biography I found on the Sigma Chi website). He died in Oakland, CA in 1919 according to the Civil War records. He is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery.
William and Rebecca (Davis) Bell did have a son named Thomas C Bell - the 1850 census for Turtle Creek Twp, Shelby Co, OH lists him, aged 18, living with his mother - who was already a widow in 1850 - and his other siblings. It is certainly possible that he is the same man who attended Miami University in Oxford, OH in the 1850's. He had an Aunt Lizzie Davis who he apparently lived with while he attended school, so her husband could have been related to Rebecca Davis.
One of Thomas C Bell's sons applied for membership to the Sons of the American Revolution in 1897 and used Rebecca Davis's father, William A Davis, as his Revolutionary War ancestor. (I found his application on Ancestry.com today.)
1830 Federal Census for Sugar Creek Twp, Greene Co, OH
William Bell
There is a record for William Bell in Sugar Creek Twp, Greene County in 1830, and I don't find any William Bell head of households in Miami, Clark or Shelby County in 1830. The ages match those of William and Rebecca Davis Bell and their children, so it is probable that they are the parents of Thomas Cowan Bell who was a founder of the Sigma Chi fraternity. There were no other Thomas Bell's listed in Greene, Shelby, Miami, or Clark County in 1850 who were born in 1832 - at least not that I found so far.
This seems to link our Bell line with Stephen Bell, the founder of Bellbrook in Greene County, OH, but I don't think it's a very strong connection. Our Bell ancestors loved to name their children after relatives, and I don't see a single Stephen among any of the records that I've found so far. William and Rebecca moved to Shelby County before 1840 and lived out their lives there.
In summary, I believe that most of Lewis Bell's children settled in Shelby County (a little ways north of Miami County) in the 1840's - 1850's and lived near each other for a period of time before they began to migrate to other counties and states. The only one who possibly lived in Greene County was William Bell, and that only for a short period of time.
My next post will be about Lewis Bell's son Harrison Bell, my great-great-great grandfather.
Family Search (the LDS family history online database)
There is a Family Group Record for Lewis Bell and Mary Anderson of Fauquier Co, VA. It lists nine children, they are:
1) James male (11 Jan 1794 - 1 Jan 1835). Place of death West Lebanon, Warren, Indiana.
2) Rebecca female (1797 - none listed).
3) Fielding male (1792 - 1854). Place of death Bedford, Tennessee.
4) Nancy female (1801 - 26 Feb 1883).
5) Vincent male (1802 - June 1859). Place of death Shelby, Ohio.
6) Harrison male (1797 - after 1850). Place of death Poss, Shelby, Ohio. [NOTE: I know that all of this information is incorrect.]
7) Elizabeth female (1804 - none listed).
8) Thomas male (Jul 1809 - 2 Aug 1854). Place of death Adams, Indiana.
9) Margaret female (1811 - none listed).
Interestingly, William Bell, the one son mentioned in the deed of trust (see yesterday's post) is not listed on this Family Group Sheet.
DAR Magazine
There was a "reader query" in a 1918 DAR magazine which listed the names of all of Lewis and Mary Anderson Bell's children. There are no dates, but it does mention some spouses, which is helpful as well.
"BELL - Ancestry desired. Probably came from Maryland to Virginia; m Mary Anderson in Fauquier Co., Va., where all of their children were born, and moved to Ohio with children in about 1821; settled at Bellbrook, named for Bell. He had ten children: William, m Rebecca Davis, dau of "Parson Davis," (probably Wm. F. R. Davis, in Va., where several of their children were born) James, Margaret, Fielding, Harrison, Vincent, Thomas (my mother's father), Nancy Elizabeth (who m my uncle Geo. Anderson), Rebecca."
[NOTE: I looked into the theory that they settled in Bellbrook, Greene Co, OH and found little to support it. See later in this post regarding Thomas C Bell, son of William Bell and Rebecca Davis.]
The same reader listed two other queries - one about the Anderson family and one about the Mattox family. Both of those surnames were in his lineage. The reader signs his query "R. S. A." His grandfather was Vincent Anderson who married Mary Mattox.
One thing that I do find interesting about this query is that it ties the Anderson and Bell families pretty tightly together. There are Anderson, Mattox and Slagle's (Harrison Bell's in-laws) all buried in the Palmer Chaple Cemetery in Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH. I saw Vincent Anderson's tombstone there this past August.
So I am taking the names of the 10 children as fairly accurate. I believe the 1918 reader query had to be based on family bibles or oral family tradition. I then began to search census records for more clues about the family.
I already found the 1810, 1820 and 1830 census records for Lewis Bell which match pretty closely with the names and dates that are on the Family Search Family Group Sheet above.
Now I have started looking for more census records about Lewis Bell's children. This is what I found today.
1840 Federal Census for Turtle Creek Twp, Shelby Co, OH
Wm Bell
The ages of the people in this household closely correlate to a family tree that I found on Family Search for William Bell, the son of Lewis Bell of Fauquier County, VA. The submitter was William Bell of Talahassee, FL.
There is also a male aged 60-69 in the household who COULD BE Lewis Bell, but also could be someone else. I believe that Lewis Bell probably died before 1840 or he would be listed as head of household - see my next note about his wife/widow.
There is also a female aged 40-49 who could be, and probably is, Rebecca Davis Bell, William's wife. I don't agree with the family trees that say William Bell had a third wife who he married in the 1830's. Rebecca Bell is listed as head of household in 1850 with all of their children listed by name.
1840 Federal Census for Franklin Twp, Shelby Co, OH
Fielding Bell
There are 3 males aged 30-39 and 1 female aged 20-29 and 1 female aged 60-69. I think this may be a household of the 4 unmarried children of Lewis and Mary Bell. That would be Fielding, James, Vincent and Elizabeth Bell. The ages don't quite match up, but that is a common error on census records. The older woman is quite possibly Mary Anderson Bell, their mother.
Two lines down from Fielding Bell is
Thomas Bell
This is another one of Lewis Bell's sons. There are 4 young children (1 male, 3 female) along with Thomas Bell aged 30-39 which matches what I know of his probable birthdate, and a female aged 20-29, who must be Minerva Helmer Bell, his wife. I have been in contact with a descendant of Thomas Bell and his information matches this Census record.
1850 Federal Census for Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH
Jeremiah Bennett
The descendant of Thomas Bell has also given me some information about Nancy Bell, daughter of Lewis Bell, and recorded that she married Jeremiah Bennett. I know that Harrison Bell's son James B Bell's middle name was Bennett, so that is a probable connection to the family. This census record lists Nancy Bennett, aged 36 - which sounds a little young for the Nancy Bell who was Lewis Bell's daughter. However, the writing is very hard to read, and I've certainly known many census record ages to be wrong.
Vincent Bell is also a member of the household - aged 45 or 48 (hard to read). That matches the age of Vincent Bell who was the son of Lewis Bell. Another household member is Mary Bell, aged 83. This could easily be Mary Anderson Bell, widow of Lewis Bell and mother of Nancy and Vincent Bell.
John Anderson
The same township census record has John Anderson, aged 36, born in Kentucky with Mary Bell, aged 73, born in Virginia, living with him. This could also be Mary Anderson Bell, widow of Lewis Bell, living with a nephew. I would guess it more likely that she would be living with her daughter and son than with a nephew.
Find-A-Grave Carey Cemetery, Shelby County, OH
William Bell
There is a memorial listed on the Find A Grave website for William Bell, husband of Rebecca (Davis) Bell. It lists his birth date as Feb 18, 1796 and his death date as Jan 15, 1845. There is no photo, so I don't know if a lookup was done at the cemetery, or just listed by a descendant.
Rebecca Bell
Another memorial is listed for Rebecca (Davis) Bell. Her birth date is listed as Aug 1, 1793 and her death date as Mar 29, 1862. Again, no photo or source is indicated. Her parents are listed - William A Davis (1766 - 1837) and Elizabeth (Cocston) Davis (1760-1841).
Someone else linked Thomas Cowan Bell to these two memorials saying that they were his parents. He was one of the founders of the Sigma Chi fraternity when he attended Miami University in Oxford, OH in the 1850's. This Thomas C Bell was born in Greene Co, OH according to the Sigma Chi biography, and served in the Civil War (I looked up his pension records on Footnote and they matched a biography I found on the Sigma Chi website). He died in Oakland, CA in 1919 according to the Civil War records. He is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery.
William and Rebecca (Davis) Bell did have a son named Thomas C Bell - the 1850 census for Turtle Creek Twp, Shelby Co, OH lists him, aged 18, living with his mother - who was already a widow in 1850 - and his other siblings. It is certainly possible that he is the same man who attended Miami University in Oxford, OH in the 1850's. He had an Aunt Lizzie Davis who he apparently lived with while he attended school, so her husband could have been related to Rebecca Davis.
One of Thomas C Bell's sons applied for membership to the Sons of the American Revolution in 1897 and used Rebecca Davis's father, William A Davis, as his Revolutionary War ancestor. (I found his application on Ancestry.com today.)
1830 Federal Census for Sugar Creek Twp, Greene Co, OH
William Bell
There is a record for William Bell in Sugar Creek Twp, Greene County in 1830, and I don't find any William Bell head of households in Miami, Clark or Shelby County in 1830. The ages match those of William and Rebecca Davis Bell and their children, so it is probable that they are the parents of Thomas Cowan Bell who was a founder of the Sigma Chi fraternity. There were no other Thomas Bell's listed in Greene, Shelby, Miami, or Clark County in 1850 who were born in 1832 - at least not that I found so far.
This seems to link our Bell line with Stephen Bell, the founder of Bellbrook in Greene County, OH, but I don't think it's a very strong connection. Our Bell ancestors loved to name their children after relatives, and I don't see a single Stephen among any of the records that I've found so far. William and Rebecca moved to Shelby County before 1840 and lived out their lives there.
In summary, I believe that most of Lewis Bell's children settled in Shelby County (a little ways north of Miami County) in the 1840's - 1850's and lived near each other for a period of time before they began to migrate to other counties and states. The only one who possibly lived in Greene County was William Bell, and that only for a short period of time.
My next post will be about Lewis Bell's son Harrison Bell, my great-great-great grandfather.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Lewis Bell & Mary Anderson
The Bells are ancestors on my father's maternal grandmother's branch of the family. Her maiden name was Bertha Mae Bell. She was the daughter of Jacob S Bell, who was the son of Harrison Bell. We believe that Harrison was the son of Lewis Bell and Mary Anderson who lived in Fauquier County, Virginia from at least 1800 to 1820.
My most recent research for Lewis Bell was to lookup the deed that has been referenced on "One World Tree" and Ancestry.com member trees establishing the fact that he was James Anderson's son-in-law and Mary Anderson's husband.
I ordered the microfilm from the LDS Family History Library and printed a copy of the original document for myself. I also looked at the index to see if other family members appeared on the same microfilm.
The film that I requested was:
Fauquier County, VA Deed books Vols 26-27 microfilm # 0031595
I found 8 Bells listed in the index. There was also a Maddux listed (Mary Anderson's brother James married Anna Maddux - they are buried in Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH).
The Bells referenced were: Charles Bell and his wife, Agatha C. Bell; John Bell; William Bell and his wife, Sarah; James Bell; and Lewis Bell. Thomas L. Maddux was listed in the index. Peter A. Maddux was a witness to Lewis Bell's deed of trust.
I believe that William Bell and James Bell were children of Lewis Bell. They were both named as recipients of debt payments in a deed signed by Charles Bell, so he may have also been a brother, but could have just as easily been a cousin, uncle, nephew, etc.
The deed that Lewis Bell signed mentioned a suit between Lewis and George Harrison. It's interesting that the surname Harrison shows up in this deed. If they named their son after a relative using his surname as their son's given name, this could be another family connection.
Lewis Bell deed of trust to Ludwell Rector:
"This Indenture, made the 7th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty two between Lewis Bell of the County of Fauquier and commonwealth of Virginia of the one part, and Ludwell Rector of the County of Fauquier and commonwealth aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that the said Lewis Bell for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar lawful money of the United States to him in hand paid by the said Rector at and before the sealing and delivery hereof, the receipt whereof he doth hereby acknowledge, and thereof and of every part thereof doth for ever exonerate, acquit and discharge the said Rector for the uses herein after named by there presents hath granted, bargained, sold, aliened, en??, released and confirmed & transferred unto the said Rector, his heirs and assigns forever all the right, title & interest in p?? remainder of the said Lewis Bell in & to the estate of James Anderson dec'd of Prince William County & father in law of said Bell said interest consents of the ? part of the property now held by Mary the widow of said James Anderson for her life...
... thirdly, pay to William Bell son of sd Lewis four hundred dollars ..."
This establishes the relationship between Lewis Bell and James Anderson as well as establishing that William Bell was the son of Lewis Bell.
Other source documents that I have found for Lewis Bell are:
Fauquier Co, VA 1800 Tax List; District of Elias Edmonds Junr;
"Bell, Lewis 1-2-0-1"
1 free male over 16
2 horses
0 slaves over 16
1 slave between 12 and 16
1810 United States Federal Census
Fauquier Co, VA
"Lewis Bell 3 2 1 1 - 2 1 - 1 - - 9"
3 males under 10; 2 males bet 10 and 15; 1 male between 16 and 25; 1 male between 26 and 44
2 females under 10; 1 female bet 10 and 15; 1 female between 26 and 44; 9 slaves
1820 United States Federal Census
Fauquier Co, VA
"Lewis Bell - 3 1 - - 1 2 1 2 1 - - 4 - - - - - - 4 - 1"
3 males between 10 and 15; 1 male between 16 and 18; 1 male 45 or older
2 females under 10;1 female between 10 and 15; 2 females between 16 and 25; 1 female between 26 and 44
1830 United States Federal Census
Bethel Twp, Clark Co, OH
"Lewis Bell - - - - 3 - - - 1 - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 1 - - -"
3 males between 20 and 29; 1 male between 60 and 69
2 females between 15 and 19; 1 female between 60 and 69
Lewis Bell was not listed in the Bethel Twp census of 1840 - he may have died, but I did not find a death record or probate file for him when I searched in Miami County. Because Bethel Twp is split between Miami and Clark Counties, the information may have been recorded in Clark County.
From this limited information, we can deduce that Lewis Bell of Fauquier County, VA moved to Bethel Twp, Clark Co, OH between 1820 and 1830. He was probably born between 1766 and 1770. His wife, Mary Anderson, was probably born between 1776 and 1784. Mary was the daughter of James Anderson.
The LDS website, Family Search, provides us with more information, but no direct source documents. A DAR publication from January, 1918 lists two reader queries, one entitled "Anderson" and the other "Bell". It refers to Lewis and Mary Anderson Bell and their children. It also lists the children of James Anderson. Presumably this came from a family bible or oral family tradition, but the source is not given.
Next week I will go through these two sources and analyze the data given.
My most recent research for Lewis Bell was to lookup the deed that has been referenced on "One World Tree" and Ancestry.com member trees establishing the fact that he was James Anderson's son-in-law and Mary Anderson's husband.
I ordered the microfilm from the LDS Family History Library and printed a copy of the original document for myself. I also looked at the index to see if other family members appeared on the same microfilm.
The film that I requested was:
Fauquier County, VA Deed books Vols 26-27 microfilm # 0031595
I found 8 Bells listed in the index. There was also a Maddux listed (Mary Anderson's brother James married Anna Maddux - they are buried in Bethel Twp, Miami Co, OH).
The Bells referenced were: Charles Bell and his wife, Agatha C. Bell; John Bell; William Bell and his wife, Sarah; James Bell; and Lewis Bell. Thomas L. Maddux was listed in the index. Peter A. Maddux was a witness to Lewis Bell's deed of trust.
I believe that William Bell and James Bell were children of Lewis Bell. They were both named as recipients of debt payments in a deed signed by Charles Bell, so he may have also been a brother, but could have just as easily been a cousin, uncle, nephew, etc.
The deed that Lewis Bell signed mentioned a suit between Lewis and George Harrison. It's interesting that the surname Harrison shows up in this deed. If they named their son after a relative using his surname as their son's given name, this could be another family connection.
Lewis Bell deed of trust to Ludwell Rector:
"This Indenture, made the 7th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty two between Lewis Bell of the County of Fauquier and commonwealth of Virginia of the one part, and Ludwell Rector of the County of Fauquier and commonwealth aforesaid of the other part witnesseth that the said Lewis Bell for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar lawful money of the United States to him in hand paid by the said Rector at and before the sealing and delivery hereof, the receipt whereof he doth hereby acknowledge, and thereof and of every part thereof doth for ever exonerate, acquit and discharge the said Rector for the uses herein after named by there presents hath granted, bargained, sold, aliened, en??, released and confirmed & transferred unto the said Rector, his heirs and assigns forever all the right, title & interest in p?? remainder of the said Lewis Bell in & to the estate of James Anderson dec'd of Prince William County & father in law of said Bell said interest consents of the ? part of the property now held by Mary the widow of said James Anderson for her life...
... thirdly, pay to William Bell son of sd Lewis four hundred dollars ..."
This establishes the relationship between Lewis Bell and James Anderson as well as establishing that William Bell was the son of Lewis Bell.
Other source documents that I have found for Lewis Bell are:
Fauquier Co, VA 1800 Tax List; District of Elias Edmonds Junr;
"Bell, Lewis 1-2-0-1"
1 free male over 16
2 horses
0 slaves over 16
1 slave between 12 and 16
1810 United States Federal Census
Fauquier Co, VA
"Lewis Bell 3 2 1 1 - 2 1 - 1 - - 9"
3 males under 10; 2 males bet 10 and 15; 1 male between 16 and 25; 1 male between 26 and 44
2 females under 10; 1 female bet 10 and 15; 1 female between 26 and 44; 9 slaves
1820 United States Federal Census
Fauquier Co, VA
"Lewis Bell - 3 1 - - 1 2 1 2 1 - - 4 - - - - - - 4 - 1"
3 males between 10 and 15; 1 male between 16 and 18; 1 male 45 or older
2 females under 10;1 female between 10 and 15; 2 females between 16 and 25; 1 female between 26 and 44
1830 United States Federal Census
Bethel Twp, Clark Co, OH
"Lewis Bell - - - - 3 - - - 1 - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 1 - - -"
3 males between 20 and 29; 1 male between 60 and 69
2 females between 15 and 19; 1 female between 60 and 69
Lewis Bell was not listed in the Bethel Twp census of 1840 - he may have died, but I did not find a death record or probate file for him when I searched in Miami County. Because Bethel Twp is split between Miami and Clark Counties, the information may have been recorded in Clark County.
From this limited information, we can deduce that Lewis Bell of Fauquier County, VA moved to Bethel Twp, Clark Co, OH between 1820 and 1830. He was probably born between 1766 and 1770. His wife, Mary Anderson, was probably born between 1776 and 1784. Mary was the daughter of James Anderson.
The LDS website, Family Search, provides us with more information, but no direct source documents. A DAR publication from January, 1918 lists two reader queries, one entitled "Anderson" and the other "Bell". It refers to Lewis and Mary Anderson Bell and their children. It also lists the children of James Anderson. Presumably this came from a family bible or oral family tradition, but the source is not given.
Next week I will go through these two sources and analyze the data given.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Family Tree Scrapbook Album
Franz and Margaret Kraus & Family
I've finally finished putting copies of all the old photos from my Mom and Dad's families into a scrapbook album. I limited myself to studio portraits, or similar snapshots, for each of my direct ancestors and a few of my aunts and uncles. I'm amazed at how many of my ancestors had their pictures taken. One or two of them are photos of paintings or drawings.
These are four photos of ancestors in my family tree that go back the farthest. Samuel Fuller (b 1802 in VT), Paulina Norton Hill (b 1805 in ME), Marianna Fairbanks Hendee (b 1798 in VT), and Sarah Price/Preiss Wentling (b 1821 in PA). The photos were probably taken between 1880 and 1890. The picture of Marianna Fairbanks is a painting that my mother owns - it was done in 1816 - the year she was married. I'm lucky that my mother's family was good about keeping family history photos and sharing them with all the descendants.
I am planning to use this blog to document my research as I work on the next two levels of family history. My trip to Ohio last month produced a lot of new source documents and photos. I'll be updating RootsMagic and also writing more of my Young/Bell Family History book.
I will also be starting to write the Brandt/Suber Family History book and I found some new information in Wyandot County. The Wentz Cemetery in Richland Township, for example, had tombstones that mark the graves of several of my ancestors. I need to get the information added to my RootsMagic database and also analyze what other research I should do next.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)