Brick Wall - James BELL & Eliza LAMONT

[M_ONeill]

Hey all,

I've had a long-standing brick wall in my family tree - my 2xgreat grandparents James and Eliza Bell (ne้ Lamont)

I've got a pretty complete record for the couple after their marriage in Coagh in 1866. Eliza was widowed in 1883 when James died from an infection of the hip joint. Eliza herself died in 1918, having never remarried. The couple had 6 children, including my great-grandfather Hugh Bell.

The trouble I have goes in the other direction, finding birth/baptismal/parental records for either James or Eliza. The transcriptions I have seen of their marriage record doesn't list their fathers' names.

James was listed as being 43 years of age on his death in 1883. Eliza was listed as being 70 on her death in 1918. There is a James Bell born in 1843 in Cookstown parish to a Michl Bell and Mary Mullan, but I have no idea if it is the same James. I have yet to find any record for Eliza Lamont.

If anyone can suggest any leads I may have missed or has any other suggestions, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!

[aghadowey]

Did the marriage take place on 31 July 1866?

[M_ONeill]

The transcriptions I have say the 30th Jul 1866, but yes, I'd say that's the one.

[hallmark]

http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/details.jsp?id=1639406543  ??

[aghadowey]

Then fathers are Walter Bell & John Larmour [possibly a misreading of Lamont]
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG82-6FJ

[hallmark]

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01edf/  ??

[M_ONeill]

Thanks so much for that, Aghadowey! I've been trying to find that record for ages!

Hopefully this will help me track down their respective births. Interestingly, there's another Eliza Lamont, daughter of John, born in Drumads in the same year as this marriage. A niece perhaps?

[aghadowey]

Might have seen more details while I was searching, as one does - if you tell me the names and ages of their 6 children and I'll have a look back.

[M_ONeill]

Well it's definitely not a niece, Eliza didn't have a brother John that I know of.

The six children of James and Eliza were:

Thomas Bell: born c1867
Robert Bell: born c1870
Hugh Bell: born c1873
Matilda Bell: born c1875
Joseph Bell: born c1878
Elizabeth Bell: born c1881

As a random aside, a lot of those names are still very common amongst my uncles, aunts and cousins on that side of the tree.