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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: serafianna on Sunday 03 January 10 17:05 GMT (UK)
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Hi
have only just joined this site and have no dates or other info to hand right now but was curious to see if there are any people out there looking into this family.
my father is Francis Bell, as were his grandfather and great grandfather. his great grandfather married sarah, and he was from middlebie in dumfries - could he have been from somewhere called the heights, or high heights? a farm anyway. he moved to caldbeck in cumberland, where his son and great grandson were born (william Edward and his brother john.) my grandfather william edward married jane and they lived in carlisle where my father was born.
the original francis who moved to caldbeck has a headstone in st kentigern's church with the three bells crest on it. when the church decided to move the old headstones to make more room in the churchyard, his was left were it was as it is an historical momunent apparently - which is where we learnt from the vicar that they were known locally as the bloody bells, it wasn't just me being rude.
i can supply some dates etc for this francis, when i look them up. my father also has some dates in a family bible. we have visited middlebie churchyard, but there are so many graves there with family names on (robert, john, francis, william, sarah, mary and hannah) that we gave up and went home. one day i was gonna do something a bit more positive - guess today's the day!
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Welcome to the board, I hope you have a good experience here. The best way to have that is to provide as much info as possible so that others know what you have covered and don't spend time on stuff that is known.
Your enquiry is general at the moment so probably the best place to start is here :-
http://www.clanbell.org/content/view/47/86/
Blacks "The Surnames of Scotland" states "The name Bell was common on the Scotish Border for centuries and the Belles are included in the 1587 list of unruly clans in the West Marches. Families of the name long predominated in the parish of Middlebie, insomuch that the ‘Bells of Middlebie’ was a current phrase throughout Dumfriesshire."
James.
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cheers James thanks for that. I'll get to it as soon as I can prise Marko's sticky little fingers from football manager for long enough - he's allowed me this five mins in the last few days to answer email!
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William Bell (born1806 at Middlebie,) married Janet Thompsn (born 1810 at Middlebie). The Marriage was at Annan on 1st, November, 1831. Any one out there related?
They moved to Carlisle afer a few years and three(?) children. (Mary-c13 Jan 1831, Robert-c9 dec 1833, William--1838, John-1841, Jane-1841((twins?)), James-1843, Eleanor-1848, Robert-1850.)
I don't know of any siblings or parents yet. Anyone have any further information?
Many thnks for an other leads.
David
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to sladmay, hi, cousin somewhere down the line... received reply re Eleanor born 2 years before Robert{my relo} Strange but I live in lower Blue Mts {Blaxland} and have been to Norfolk Is twice and perhaps again this year... walked around the Cemetery many times .. not research but of Hist. Interest. Maybe we can meet or swap emails. Seems that you, like my sister and I, haven't got further back than William and Janet Cheers :) aussie-g {Graham}
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Not sure where my Bell ancestors might fit in ...
My great-great-grandmother was Mary Bell, daughter of James Bell and Helen (Neilson) Bell. She was born 29 March 1826 in Branetrig, married David Kerr 05 November 1847. I have not yet learned her date or place of death.
My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother was Janet Bell, born 04 July 1742 in Dumfries. She married James Tweedie around 1764 and died 27 December 1808 in Mouswald. I have not yet discovered the identity of her parents, nor how she and Mary Bell might be related.
Strictly speaking, however, neither appears to be from Middlebie.
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My mother called them the "mad Bells from Middlebie" apparently border reivers! my great grandmother was Jessie Bell (b. 1860) gggrandparent was Robert Bell(b.1814) & his father was david b.1780. Jessie Bell married Philip Little from Gretna & they also moved to Carlisle (but via Motherwell as Philip was a train driver & was moved about)
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I have a William Bell married to Hannah Brown. Christened 1797. They had 7 children Sarah, Robert, Hannah, Mary, Gertrude, Emily and William. His parents I am fairly certain is John Bell his wife Esther Simpson. Esther was born in Caldbeck, they had 4 children Mary, John, William and Esther. John MAY be the child of John Bell and Phoebe Richardson from Brampton.
Esther appears to have family buried in the Caldbeck cemetery. I am not sure where John is buried. He died 15 May 1798.
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I am descended from Francis Bell of Middlebie as well. Would you be interested in the family details that I have. I have found a will that tells us the names of the houses that different family members lived in in Caldbeck. I don't know much about Francis except that he is buried in the church in Caldbeck and I have seen the grave. I would love to know which Bell family he is from in Middlebie.
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Perhaps related somewhere along the line, so just throwing it into the mix in this old thread:
I am researching Bells from Canonbie ... Francis Bell chr 17 Oct 1768 in Lymiecleugh, Canonbie.
His father is also Francis but I have no dates, place of birth or other information about him. He marries Margaret Nichol who was born in 1733. Would be interested in taking this Bell line further back.
The line I am following descends through Francis 1768 then his son William.
I have a little information about this Bell line and would be interested in hearing from others who have this family in their tree.
Presumably the reference to "bloody" Bells may refer to their propensity for feuding where much blood was likely to have been spilled.
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Would love to be in contact with Serrafianna as we are definitely descended from. The same Francis Bell of Middlebie.
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William Bell (born1806 at Middlebie,) married Janet Thompsn (born 1810 at Middlebie). The Marriage was at Annan on 1st, November, 1831. Any one out there related?
They moved to Carlisle afer a few years and three(?) children. (Mary-c13 Jan 1831, Robert-c9 dec 1833, William--1838, John-1841, Jane-1841((twins?)), James-1843, Eleanor-1848, Robert-1850.)
I don't know of any siblings or parents yet. Anyone have any further information?
Many thnks for an other leads.
David
I am stuck here too having gone back through the son (my 2GGF) John born in Carlisle. The marriage entry from Annan says " William Bell in this parish and Janet Thomson in the parish of Middlebie were lawfully married on the 1st November 1831"
I wondered if WB was from Annan or had just moved there from Middlebie?
Dave
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Sorry for reviving a dead board but I have a Mary Bell in my tree. She married William Little, their son was Christopher Little. I believe his son, George Little, was the last in my line to live in Hutton and Corrie (or thereabouts). The family moved to Bristol
William = Mary Bell
Christopher = Mary ?
George = Mary Rowe
William = Sarah Boobier
Henry = Kate Crew
James = Emily Plumley
James = still living
My father = my mother
Me!
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Folks I have Bridget Bell in my tree (1731-1797) who was married to James Currie, both died at Woodlands, Hoddam. I have no idea who her parents were.
Their granddaughter Rachel Currie was my 3rd grt grandmother and was married to john Burnet from Middlebie and they stayed at Peatknowes Farm . Middlebie
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I am trying to find parents of Robert Bell born around 1810 middlebie, who married Catharine Kirpatrick 5th december 1837 at Brydekirk. I found a Robert (born 1776) & Jane (born 1786)Bell at Upper Brydekirk in 1841 census with children called Nicholas, Jannet, Walter, Thomas & James. Robert & Catherine's children were called John, Jean, Jane, Janet, Josephine, Robert, Sarah, James, Catharine, Nicholas, Thomas & Walter. Am wondering if Robert & Jane could be Robert's parents.
So many Bells, so may options!!!
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To add to the Bell mix - my g-g-grandmother was Mary Bell (1813-1886) of Neuk, Middlebie. She m. Rev Joseph Currie Lorraine (1810-1894) from Half Morton. Mary's parents were John Bell (1785-1850) and Janet Davidson. John's parents were William Bell and (possibly) Margaret Edgar.
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I’m researching my wife’s Bell family line and I think they trace back from Canada to Middlebie but through Ireland. I am finding it difficult to trace from Ireland to Middlebie. Apparently there was a church fire that destroyed some of the relevant records in Ireland. I believe some Middlebie Bells left during the Ulster Plantation and ended up in Glenavy, County Antrim. The farthest back we have gotten is William James Bell born 1760, died 1845 in Glenavy. His son was Francis Bell, and his son was Francis Charles Bell. The use of the names William and Francis within the family in Glenavy is not likely coincidence and therefore probably linked to the Middlebie Bells mentioned in this thread. Both the Francis Bells, father and son, along with the other children emigrated to Canada in 1850, to Oro, in Simcoe county, Ontario. If anyone has information on any of the Middlebie Bells moving to Ulster during the time of the Plantation, it would be appreciated.
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I have an Elizabeth Bell / Beall born about 1780-1800 that married beneath her station to a Shannon against her father's wishes. After childbirth, 2 boys and a girl, they sailed to Ontario, Canada where Shannon died. She then married my George Bradley in 1829 who was born in New Malton, Yorkshire. I Have traced family info back to the marriage of Bell and Bradley but nothing in Scotland and would love to know more. I also descend from William Douglas, 6th Baron of Drumlanrig, as discovered through my cousin's YDNA test results. If anyone has info on Elizabeth...sibs, parents etc. it would would greatly appreciated.
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Ruskie...I have these Bells in my tree and many, many more...I am researching Bells from Canonbie ... Francis Bell chr 17 Oct 1768 in Lymiecleugh, Canonbie
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I am researching Bells from Canonbie ... Francis Bell chr 17 Oct 1768 in Lymiecleugh, Canonbie
For the benefit of others...
Francis Bell 1768 was the son of Francis Bell & Margaret m/s Nic(h)ol(l)
Other children born to Francis & Margaret (all Canonbie):
Euphin 1761
Jean 1762
Agnes 1767
Adam 1771
Mary 1774
Going by the gaps there may be others?
Annie
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Hi Sandy. This is my brother in law's family. :) It's been a while since I worked on this line.
Which of Francis's (chr 1768 Lymiecleugh) children are you descended from? My brother in law is descended from his son William b 1799.
I don't have Bells earlier than the Francis who married Margaret Nichol. Were you able to go back any further?
Annie, children I have for Francis Bell and Margaret Nichol are:
John 1760
Euphin 1761
Jean 1762
Margaret 1764
Agnes 1767
Francis 1768
Adam 1771
Mary 1774
I do have question marks beside some of them. At the time I was just following the direct line so didn't follow up on siblings.
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My great-great grandfather, Clements Bell, was also from Glenavy, County Antrim. He was born 27 Mar 1793 as listed in the St Aidan's Church of Ireland records. John Bell was listed as his father. A sister, Frances Bell, was born 19 Mar 1795. Clements Bell's wife, Sarah Ann Palmer from Killead, wrote that Clements was from The Leap, Glenavy which we found in the Ballyvorally district when we visited Ireland 3 years ago. Clements and Sarah Ann emigrated to Ontario in 1846.
I'm interested in learning about their connection to other Bells from Glenavy parish. Was my ancestor, John Bell, a brother to William James? Does anyone know if the BELL families in this area were all relatedS? Stephen in reply #16 posted that he believed his ancestor, William James Bell, came to Ulster from the Middlebie area of Scotland. I also would be very interested to know If anyone has information on any of the Middlebie Bells moving to Ulster during the time of the Plantation. Hoping to hear an update from someone on your research!
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Hi, I have been helping a lady in Canada to research, she is the 4x gt g'dau of Rachel Bell and John Burnet. I have taken Rachel Bell back another couple of generations. I live in Middlebie and am familiar with Woodlands. If you want headstone photos or photos of Woodlands as it is now, I'd be happy to oblige. Regards, Ian